All publications and documents

The economic internal rate of return (EIRR) is considered as a useful tool for advocating investments in the field of land rehabilitation and poverty alleviation and it is also presented as an economic evaluation tool. This communication reviews main literature referring to EIRR and discusses its relevance, in particular for short-term and small size projects. It emphasizes the many constraints…

Reduced tillage is regarded as one of the most effective conservation agricultural practices to decrease CO2 emissions from soil and sequester C into it. On the other hand, conventional tillage causes an increase in soil CO2 evolution, although many authors noted that such an increase usually occurs for few days after machine operations. However, Luo et al. (2010) highlighted that the role of…

The age-old practice of turning the soil before planting a new crop is a leading cause of farmland degradation. Many farmers are thus looking to make plowing a thing of the past

This study provides evidence of change in the relative importance of different crop plants in national food supplies worldwide over the past 50 years. Within a global trend of increased overall quantities of food calories, protein, fat, and weight, and increased proportions of those quantities sourcing from energy-dense foods, national food supplies diversified in regard to contributing measured…

A dry and dusty savannah, Emaciated cattle plodding dejectedly past the last remaining scraps of grass that have survived the merciless heat and sandstorms. Such images are all too familiar. Across the globe, soil degradation and desertification cost about 490 billion euros per year, according to expert estimates. "About 12 million hectares of land are lost to this every year" says Wageningen…

Land degradation refers to any reduction or loss in the biological or economic productive capacity of the land resource base. It is generally caused by human activities, exacerbated by natural processes, and often magnified by and closely intertwined with climate change and biodiversity loss. SLM practices include the integrated management of crops (trees), livestock, soil, water, nutrients,…