Page 4 - AWA Vol.36-No.5

A NEW APPROACH TO STOP SOIL LOSS ON WORLD

DAY TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND DROUGHT
EDITORIAL
A new approach is needed to combat soil degradation, support farmers, to incentivize sustainable soil manage-
desertification and drought if we are to meet the grow- ment and enhance soil organic carbon stocks.
ing demand for food to feed the world’s population, the Recarbonized soils can be a climate solution as healthy
Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organiza- soils are essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
tion of the United Nations, Qu Dongyu, said today. and building resilience to climate change by maintain-
The Director-General was speaking at RECOIL: Recar- ing or increasing their carbon content.
bonization of global soils, a virtual event convened by FAO is also preparing a specific programme on dry
FAO on the World Day to Combat Desertification and lands and water scarcity to prevent soil erosion and pro-
Drought. The theme of this year’s international day is mote sustainable soil and rangeland management as
“Food.Feed.Fibre. Sustainable consumption and pro- well as crop diversification.
duction”. Qu stressed the necessity of supporting farmers
Qu said agricultural production, food transportation, through the provision of innovative tools as well as fi-
distribution and trade were facing new challenges, par- nancial incentives to implement best practices.
ticularly with the COVID-19 pandemic, and urgent action
The Director-General was joined at the virtual event by
was needed to stop land and soil damage and decline. Ibrahim Thiaw, the Executive Secretary of the United Na-
“Business, as usual, is not an option,” Qu said. “We tions Convention to Combat Desertification and Carlos
need new approaches for land use to increase produc- Manuel Rodriguez, Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment
tivity while avoiding soil degradation, pollution and pro- and Energy, and incoming Chief Executive Officer of the
tecting ecosystems and biodiversity.” Global Environment Facility.
As demand increases for food, animal feed and fibre Rodriguez said there was a great opportunity for FAO
for paper, energy, clothing, and other uses, Qu noted to develop soil management on a global scale with
that the health and productivity of existing arable land the co-operation of national governments, while Thiaw
are declining, worsened by climate change. noted that increasing carbon content was the best way
Qu said more than two billion hectares of previously to reinforce soil fertility and build ecological and social
productive land is now degraded and drought and water resilience.
scarcity have amplified the problem. Qu noted that the upcoming International Decade on
Up to 44 per cent of the world’s cultivated systems Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 that will be co-led by
lands are in dry lands, and dry land areas are home to 30 FAO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), will
per cent of the global population, spanning more than provide a vehicle to accelerate action aimed at restor-
100 countries, he noted. ing the world ecosystems and sustainably providing
FAO and its Global Soil Partnership have established goods and services from natural resources.
RECOIL: Recarbonization of global soils, an initiative to

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Dairy Farming Fisheries and Fish Farming
- Feeds and feeding systems - Breeding of fish / Fish feeds and
- Milking equipment/Packaging and fisheries equipment
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& promote your irrigation - Treatments for pests or diseases /
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- Pipes, pumps and equipment
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desalination projects - Sahara 2020, Egypt - Middle East
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