Land misuse and soil mismanagement have resulted in large expanses of our soil being degraded. Our author describes how the global agricultural and food systems can be made more environmentally friendly, and the role…

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At a glance: definitions, international agreements and insights referred to in recent publications on soil- and land-related issues.

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Soils form a thin layer on the Earth’s surface and host an immense biological diversity, most of which is invisible. Yet the organisms living in soil provide crucial ecosystem services that human societies depend on.…

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The Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health has set itself the goal of improving soil health globally. Co-Leader Leigh Ann Winowiecki explains the barriers which have to be cleared on the way there and why she is optimistic…

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More than 40 per cent of soils in Latin America and the Caribbean are classified as degraded. Fernando Schwanke describes how the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) is supporting governments…

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In January 2020, Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture presented guidelines for the sustainable development of its agriculture. In addition to “land governance and environmental compliance”, they refer to “innovation and…

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Numerous techniques, practices and concepts for soil protection and rehabilitation are being tried and tested globally. Using the project “Soil protection and rehabilitation for food security” as an example, our authors…

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Healthy, productive soils are a prerequisite for global food security – one of the priorities of German development cooperation. State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth on Germany’s efforts to support sustainable land…

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Land is our lifeline on this planet. Yet "business as usual" in how we manage land resources puts our own future on planet Earth in jeopardy, with half of humanity already facing the impacts of land degradation. The…

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The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies – WOCAT – has been promoting sustainable land management (SLM) for nearly three decades. A global database was set up in 1995, underpinned by a standardised…

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