Sandy soils cover approximately 900 million ha worldwide, particularly in arid or semi-arid regions. There are extensive areas of sandy soils under cultivation, but the soil fertility is often low. Sandy soils – as a group of soils – have received limited research attention. With increasing global pressure on land resources, marginal soils such as sandy soils are taken into production or cultivated more intensely. There is a need to quantify and understand the properties of sandy soils. This conference will bring together experts on sandy soils from across the world.