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Soil Care Network Newsletter

September 2019

by Anna Krzywoszyńska

 

Research and projects

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  • Soil security is an increasingly popular concept, taken up in and shaping research programmes. This article reviews discourses related to 'Soil Security', and, acknowledging the way that language shapes our realities, urges the soil science community ‘to actively consider the implications and nuances of any discourse, including that of Soil Security [and] concludes with suggestions on how to reflect on the practice of soil science and its role in the future of humanity.’

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  • European scientists have been digging deep so they can better understand the multiple threats facing soil which include erosion, pollution, decline of biodiversity and urbanisation. They want to come up with better preventive measures. Watch the video here.

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Soils policy and social movements

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  • It is now possible to assess soil quality using an app which provides real information on the type of suitable agricultural methods depending on the soil, crops and conditions.  

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Soil in the news

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Editorials, blogs and opinion

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  • An interesting skeptical take on the potential for soil carbon sequestration through carbon farming, set in the context of the political manoeuvring in the US. “we ought to be a little wary of ambitious soil-policy solutions for climate change. (…) But the nice thing about about these proposals is that minimizing tillage, planting cover crops, and the other practices that store soil carbon are generally good for the environment"

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  • David Montogemery comments on the IPCC’s report on Climate Change and Land, and writes: it’s time for a global "soilshot" to heal the land. Rebuilding healthy fertile soil on the world’s agricultural lands would require fundamental changes to agriculture, and a new agricultural philosophy. But consider who stands to lose from such a shift: corporate interests that profit from modern agrochemical-intensive farming and factory-farm livestock production. Who stands to gain? Everyone else.”

 

 

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Resources

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  • Soil has made it to TED Talks:  biogeochemist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe dives into the science of soil and shares how we could use its awesome carbon-trapping power to offset climate change.

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  • Are you hungry for more soil news and information? CheTerraPesti is another great soil news newsletter, available freely here

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