The Madre de Dios region in the Peruvian Amazon hosts the community project supported by CESVI and Lavazza Foundation. Photo: Yoly Gutierrez/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Yoly Gutierrez/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Amazon forest, a walnut can make a difference for local economy and climate change

Supported by CESVI and the Lavazza Foundation, Peruvian indigenous communities are finding in the Amazon nut a new opportunity for empowerment. With positive impacts on the economy and the climate
Soil is a complex system, say three British researchers. Today, a unified method for assessing its health still doesn't exist. Photo: Soil Science Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Soil Science Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

British researchers propose a new theory of soil health

If we want to analyze soil health, we cannot rely on single indicators, says a new paper by Cranfield and Nottingham Universities. Instead, we need to focus on the relationships among the components of the system to get a complete picture. At the center of the new approach are four different dimensions
Peatlands in the Congo Basin cover more than 167 thousand square kilometers, 15 percent more than previously estimated. Photo: Dicklyon Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Dicklyon Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Congo’s peatlands are a barrier against climate change

More than a quarter of the carbon stored in the Planet's peatlands is found in the Congo River Basin, says a research released by Nature. But these environments are threatened by land use
According to estimates, Britain's small farms could receive a total public/private benefit of £3.1 billion per year. Photo: Colin Smith Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Colin Smith Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Government incentives and carbon market may revive marginal farms in UK

Farms located in the most marginal areas of the UK are less productive but they also manage soils with the greatest potential for carbon storage. One trait that can attract public and private funds
Forty years after the last survey, China aims to complete its national land census. Photo: olly301 Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)olly301 Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

China will provide an updated soil survey by 2025

Forty years after the last study, Beijing aims to complete its land census. While waiting for the data, however, the scenario looks grim. Pollution, erosion and fertility loss remain the main problems
Drought limits the soil's ability to absorb water, thus favoring erosion in subsequent rainy periods. Photo: Pixabay, Flickr CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain DedicationPixabay, Flickr CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

See some WEF’s suggestions to protect European soil from drought emergency

The combination of long-term drought and subsequent heavy rains is putting a strain on Europe's dry soils. From the World Economic Forum, five strategies to counter land erosion
Drought is having an unprecedented impact in Europe. Photo: CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution requiredCC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

Europe faces four unexpected effects of drought

The Continent is dealing with the worst drought in five centuries. Amid failing crops, struggling transportation and electricity generation shortages, the World Economic Forum photographs some unusual consequences of a phenomenon that threatens the future of soil and the Planet
Protected areas in Brazil amount to 220 million hectares, or 51 percent of the Amazon. Extending protection over another 130 million hectares would cost no more than $2.8 billion a year. Photo: Andre Deak Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Andre Deak Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Protecting the Amazon would require minimal spending, a study says

In the Brazilian Amazon, costs per hectare of anti-deforestation policies are hundreds of times lower than in protected areas in Europe. But government commitment remains largely weak
Since the start of industrialization, England has lost 80% of its heathlands. Photo: Andrew Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)Andrew Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

England reckons with its history as biodiversity declines

England is one of the world's poorest countries in terms of natural variety, UK Environment Agency says. To counteract the historical fallout from early industrialization, a new land management approach is needed
European demand for African rubber contributes to deforestation in the continent's west-central area. Photo: Simon Law Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Simon Law Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Europe under fire as rubber industry is destroying African forests

In 21st century, the development of rubber tree plantations has led to the destruction of more than 500 km2 of native forests in Africa, says Global Witness. EU regulation is still weak

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