All publications and documents

Home to 60% of the world’s arable land, Africa has the potential to meet not only its own food needs, but also those of the rest of the world. Agriculture remains one of the most important economic sectors for the continent, employing the majority of the population and accounting for 14% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa. The Agriculture in Africa 2021: Focus Report outlines the region’s…

Soil is the foundation of our lives. Soil services are essential for the provision of food through agriculture, energy and raw materials, carbon sequestration, water purification, nutrient regulation, biodiversity preservation and pest control, to name but a few. This CORDIS Results Pack highlights projects working in the field of soil research that have recently finished or will soon end and…

Changes in rainfall patterns, the increasing frequency and intensity of droughts and other extreme events have adversely impacted the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, contributing to desertification and land degradation in many regions (6,18), and are consequently impacting current and future agricultural productivity (19) and food security. To close the loop, transforming food systems is…

In the framework of World Soil Day 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), and the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) launched a children's book contest on Soil Biodiversity with the motto "Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity". The book contest on soil biodiversity has given visibility to the…

Floods and drought Heavy rain and extensive flooding occurred over large parts of Africa and Asia in 2020. Heavy rain and flooding affected much of the Sahel and the Greater Horn of Africa, triggering a desert locust outbreak. The Indian subcontinent and neighbouring areas, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, and parts of South-East Asia also received abnormally high rainfall at…

People and the planet are only as healthy as the ecosystems we all depend on. Bringing degraded ecosystems back to life – for example by planting trees, cleaning up riverbanks, or simply giving nature space to recover – increases their benefits to society and biodiversity. Without reviving ecosystems, we cannot achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or the Paris Climate Agreement. But…