Women in the Sahel region of Africa plant in zai holes (small pits which capture runoff and are filled with manure) to reclaim degraded land. Photo: Alina / FlickR

Soil is the foundation of agriculture and food production. It is essential to the healthy functioning of ecosystems; storing and filtering water, providing resilience to drought and storing carbon.

Yet soil degradation is widespread across the globe, occurring as a result of many factors, including deforestation, unsustainable land use and management, pollution, overgrazing and climate change.

The Status of the World’s Soil Resources report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) outlines how soil degradation can be ameliorated through more sustainable practices, such as crop diversification, crop rotation and agroforestry.

Food Tank website has highlighted the work of 22 organizations in restoring soils and ecosystems worldwide. These include:

• The African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) which aims to bring 100 million hectares of degraded forest landscapes into the process of restoration by 2030.
• The Red Soil Project which partners with local community organizations and utilizes their existing community networks to deliver hands-on workshops in soil building, integrated pest management, rocket stoves, agroforestry, and animal husbandry.
• Trees for the Future which is dedicated to planting forest gardens that provide families and livestock with sustainable food sources as well as increased annual income.

Read the full story: 22 Organizations Working to Restore Soils in 2016

Find out about the World Agroforestry Centre’s work in combatting land degradation

Women in the Sahel region of Africa plant in zai holes (small pits which capture runoff and are filled with manure) to reclaim degraded land. Photo: Alina / FlickR