OPINION: Investing in soil health key to closing the yield gaps
Even without climate change, there is an enormous challenge to meet the growing demand for food with the current status of soil health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Keith Shepherd
Keith D Shepherd is a Principal Soil Scientist at World Agroforestry in Nairobi, Kenya & the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems with 40 years' research experience in tropical land management
‘Income that surpasses the waiting’: in dire need of trees, Malawi tries woodlots, bees, bamboo
Success in rejuvenating land through forest-based enterprises has had dramatic outcomes for farmers. In the late afternoon in the highlands of Malawi, the air is chilly as the sun descends. But the welcome is warm. A group of...
The missing middle: how enabling environments will translate global commitments into local action
Delegates at Global Soil Week 2019 push for effective land governance, local governance structures, extension services, and finance and markets to ensure sustainable and climate resilient agriculture.
Using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework to assess land health in Rwanda
By Dorcas Sanginga Regreening Africa’s Land Degradation Dynamics component, spearheaded by Leigh Winowiecki, soil systems scientist, and Tor-Gunnar Vågen, geoinformatics senior scientist, recently conducted Field Training and Field Survey: Biophysical Soil and Land Health Assessment using the Land...
Technologies to enhance and monitor soil carbon for Africa
Healthy soil is critical for productive agriculture in Africa. To address declining health, countries are sharing knowledge and learning about new technologies.
ASEAN Guidelines for Agroforestry Development set to revolutionize land use in Southeast Asia
The endorsement of the Guidelines by the region’s ministers of agriculture and forestry paves the way for implementation to restore degraded landscapes, improve food security and livelihoods, enhance farmers’ resilience and meet nationally determined contributions to...
In Andhra Pradesh, World Agroforestry dives deep into the science of Zero-Budget Natural Farming
Zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF) is reported to be followed by 8% of farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India, making it probably the world’s most successful natural farming approach. “Adoption rates elsewhere of nature-friendly agriculture rarely exceed 1%,” says...
Call to action: more trees to restore landscapes and improve livelihoods in northern Ghana
“There is an urgent need in northern Ghana for metro, municipal and district assemblies, NGOs and civil society organizations to act immediately to address issues such as land tenure, bush fires, indiscriminate tree cutting, and a lack of...
Agroforestry and land health in Malawi
In the last five years ICRAF has helped establish comprehensive soil information systems in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria. Malawi is determined to be next. Africa has over 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land but remains a...
How soil scientists can do a better job of making their research useful
Scientists must remember that farmers are focused on the best return from their inputs with little risk as possible. Dominic Chavez/World Bank/Flickr Soil is a vital part of the natural environment. It supports the growth of plants, is...
How much carbon dioxide is emitted from smallholders’ farms on peatland?
Smallholders clear forests on peat swamps for their farms, emitting considerable amounts of greenhouse gases. But how much? Scientists from the World Agroforestry Centre went for a walk to find out. Walking on Indonesian peat that has...
Why better soil could mean peace and prosperity for African farmers
Food assistance needs in 2017 are unprecedented, say FEWS-Net, an early warning system pioneered by the US government. Famine threatens South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Ethiopia is also included within the top 5 areas of highest concern....
ICRAF presents the role of evidence and improved soil management for land restoration in sub-Saharan Africa at the European Development Days
Approximately 70% of Africa’s population depends on its agriculture-based economy for their livelihoods, underscoring the importance of soil to the sector. Fertile soils across the continent are under threat, however, due in large part to climate change and...
Helping rice farmers grow trees for adapting to climate change
Trees in, and around, rice fields help farmers’ become more resilient to climate change, improve their incomes and protect the environment. A new practical manual helps guide farmers in Southeast Asia, the rice bowl of the world....