Conserving and rehabilitating soil to promote food security and climate protection

Context

The amount of fertile soil that is being lost around the world every year was most recently equal to roughly one-third of the size of Germany, and it continues to grow. This has grave consequences for both the world's food supply and its climate. The places impacted the most include the arid regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Here, those who live off the land are suffering the most because their fields produce the food they need to survive. In addition, fertile soil is second only to the world's oceans in terms of its ability to store carbon, which makes it vital to climate protection. This is why approaches are needed that make use of soil in ecological ways.

Objective

Selected partner countries are assisted in the widespread implementation of agroecological approaches that conserve soil and rehabilitate infertile soil in climate-smart, environmentally friendly ways.

Approach

This project is helping smallholder farmers learn how to use climate-smart, agroecological methods to protect their land from soil erosion and restore and maintain soil fertility. To that end, it is offering training and guidance to both farmers and agricultural consultants.

The project is also cooperating with governmental institutions and entities from the realms of science, research, the private sector and civil society to establish framework conditions that will promote change in agricultural and food systems. In doing so, it is working to make such change a political, institutional and social priority. These efforts are improving food security and making a key contribution to land degradation neutrality (LDN), one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition, the project is making related knowledge an integral part of the curricula at educational institutions and supporting the exchange of ideas among the countries and organisations involved.

Last update: July 2023