Blog and news
Degradation of soils is a worldwide phenomenon and has various affects on environment, primarily in terms of ecosystems and biodiversity loss, contributing to desertification and, hence, increasing vulnerability to climate change. This range of interrelated issues is attributed to unsustainable land use practices and continuously growing further demand for land.
Can the productive reuse of sanitation products contribute significantly towards increased food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)? This is the firm belief of Dr Peter Morgan, the World Water Prize winner in 2013.
Cocoa farming was introduced in the Mount Fako region of Cameroon in 1886 by the Germans with the aim of supplying their local factories with raw materials (cocoa beans). They owned and managed vast hectares of cocoa plantations which were worked forcefully by indigenous slaves.
Cassava or Yuca or Manioc, a perennial woody shrub with an edible root, is the third most important source of calories in the tropics. In the situation of economic and climate uncertainty world’s community is looking for more diversified base for food security, apart from the three staple crops, rice, wheat and maize.
The activities of the forum were basically finished already on the Thursday, and the last day was more a day of thanks and goodbyes, and of looking back at what's been accomplished. The goal of the forum had been to create a global movement for living soils, and to give energy to some tangible projects that may continue into the future.
We are approaching the end of the Living Soil Forum and so far we have seen many exciting sessions. The theme of today was to process the fruits of this week’s collaborative developments among the participants. The aim was to tap into the range of knowledge and experiences existing among us and figure out what the next steps would be to make our ideas or projects to come true.
On the third day of the forum, someone has been mentioning 'the FOMO syndrome' (Fear Of Missing Out), and I have personally felt it as simultaneous action-oriented workshops are going on while I'm updating the webpage from a weak wi-fi connection in the café.
The second day here in Järna and the Living Soil Forum kicked off with another 4 keynote speakers. The theme of today was that of a local perspective, compared to yesterday’s which had more of a global focus. In fact it was even 'hyper local', as one from the organizing team phrased it; with people from around Järna presenting.
Diversified agricultural systems along with sustainable and efficient management of resources and soil fertility are essential in order to improve and maintain land productivity. To reduce starvation and malnutrition, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and partners in Africa have dedicated funding for food security related research projects.