A world without healthy soil is a world in which little grows. Yet, for those who live in the roughly 25 to 40 per cent of the Earth’s surface that is degraded, this is what the future could hold.

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The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has presented a new map showing the spread of salt-affected soil at an international symposium. During the meeting, international experts gave accounts of their success in…

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Intense agricultural use of soil is causing its degradation in many areas. Now researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have developed a rapid test for measuring soil quality on site. This should allow farmers to monitor…

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This report reveals soil pollution as one of the world’s major challenges for ecosystem restoration. Soil pollution has serious implications for agri-food systems and human health because of its long-term impact on the…

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Soil organisms are important for agriculture and food security, they contribute to human health and have potential to mitigate climate change. But not only does their importance remain largely underestimated, they are…

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The soil’s potential to store carbon dioxide has not received enough attention over the last years, researchers say while formulating a strategy against the greenhouse effect. The strategy addresses two goals at the same…

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Three scenarios show how climate change and land use may accelerate soil erosion by water by the year 2070. Soil erosion reduces agricultural productivity and therefore threatens global food supply.

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A breakthrough in how soils are analysed, known as soil spectroscopy, is equipping both farmers and government decision-makers with a new tool in combatting land degradation and improving farmers' crop yields and income.

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ETH Zurich researchers of the Swiss ETH Zurich are re-examining the causes of soil erosion around the world – and have found that countries themselves have a surprisingly strong influence on their soil. This country…

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Wind, rain and industrial farming techniques accelerate soil erosion, leading to losses in terms of agricultural yields and critical ecosystem functions. A new publication provides an overview on the current state of…

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