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The Congo River Basin is home to one-fifth of the world's plant and animal species. Photo: Corinne Staley Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)Photo: Corinne Staley Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Deforestation in the Congo Basin is growing at an alarming rate

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In 2021, deforestation in the Congo Basin increased by 4.9 percent affecting more than 630 thousand hectares of land. This is a particularly worrying trend, explains the Dutch NGO Climate Focus, when considering the area's importance for climate mitigation and biodiversity
Pulp and paper sector is one of the major drivers of deforestation in Indonesia. Photo: Sofi Mardiah/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)Sofi Mardiah/CIFOR Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Banks’ support for deforestation grew since Paris Agreement

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Since the Paris Agreement of 2015, three hundred corporations contributing to commodity-related deforestation have received $267 billion in funding, according to the NGOs coalition Forests & Finance. Amazon and Southeast Asia are the epicenters of this phenomenon
Worldwide, soy cultivation promotes the deforestation of 4,800 km2 of land every year. Photo: Hippopx public domain CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)Hippopx public domain CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)

Corporate commitments alone can’t stop soy-led deforestation

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In 10 years, the moratorium on Brazilian soy derived from deforested land has saved just 2,300 km2 of forest, an international study says. "Supply chain governance should not be a substitute for state-led forest policies," researchers explain
Peatland restoration is part of a larger nature conservation program in Wales. Photo: Lesbardd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Lesbardd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Wales wants to triple annual restoration of peatlands

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The annual amount of peatlands to be restored in the British nation rises to 1,800 hectares. A move designed to counter climate change and protect biodiversity. Two emergencies that seem to be more and more evident across the U.K.
Scheduled for Oct. 24-26, the EU Soil Observatory Stakeholders Forum is designed to engage all stakeholders involved in soil protection. Photo: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain DedicationCC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Soil protection requires everyone’s commitment according to EUSO 2022

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The promotion of soil health requires the involvement of all stakeholders, from policy makers and scientists to local stakeholders, citizens and civil society. That's the message of the EU Soil Observatory Stakeholders Forum, scheduled for Oct. 24-26
Soil microorganisms perform critical services for plant and human health. Photo: pxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution requiredpxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

Microorganisms are the common thread between soil and human health

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Spread throughout the soil, bacteria, fungi and archaea make up 18 percent of the Planet's biomass. Their services are critical for humans and plants, a new research explains. But some critical factors put their resilience at risk
The application of agroecology principles in livestock farming may be a turning point for the sustainability of the UK food supply chain. Photo: Peter Standing Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Peter Standing Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Meat can be sustainable thanks to agroecology

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According to the Soil Association in Edinburgh, the transition to agroecology in agriculture and livestock paves the way for a lower-impact production system. But extending the practice on a large scale requires a change in diet
Ants play an effective role in counteracting plant pests. Photo: Abdulmominbd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Abdulmominbd Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ants better than pesticides in protecting soil health and increasing agricultural yields

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According to a research ants provide crucial services for crops such as decreasing pest activity and plant damage while leading to higher yields
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

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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
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

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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