Stories tagged: soil

Nourishing Crops for Resilient Food Systems in sub-Saharan Africa

Image of Dr Shamie Zingore

Dr Shamie Zingore, Director of Research and Development at the African Plant Nutrition Institute, delves into the relationship between soil health, crop productivity and human nutrition.

Africa is home to an estimated 33 million smallholder farmers who contribute about 70 per cent of the continent’s food supply. But these farmers face various constraints, such as low productivity and limited access to new agricultural technologies. The soils in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in particular are some of the poorest in the world due to naturally low fertility and insufficient soil conservation measures. It is estimated that the continent loses over US $4 billion worth of soil nutrients each year, severely eroding its ability to feed itself. Crops require an adequate and balanced supply of nutrients to produce good yields, yet currently, more than 60 per cent of SSA’s agricultural land faces challenges around crop production. Continue reading

How Soil Health Contributes to Sustainable Development

Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at The Ohio State University, Continue reading

Solving The Water Crisis by Saving Money in Agriculture

Julia Jung and Lukas Hanke, The Green Innovation Centre India Continue reading

Key takeaways from the Oxford Farming Conference 2020

The 11th annual Oxford Farming Conference 2020 set its sights on managing global food systems in innovative and environmentally sustainable ways. Continue reading

Ground Truth: Digital Innovations to Improve Soil Health

Meera Shah, Project Administrator at Malabo Montpellier Panel, discusses the critical role of digital technologies in understanding the health of soil. Continue reading