On January 13 the International Center for Tropical Agriculture introduced a new digital map technology that covers 42 countries, and will allow for soil scientists to pinpoint areas of soil degradation. According to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, “Low soil fertility is one of the major factors responsible for depressed yields on small-scale farms across Africa.” With these “depressed yields”, Africans have been forced to face the reality of higher food prices, and less availability to food. With this new technology, soil scientists believe they will be able to provide local farmers with better guidance on how to begin to restore these depleted soils to their full potential, and in turn provide more food security to the people of Africa. “The digital soil map has brought soil science into the 21st century,” said Pedro Sanchez, the director of tropical agriculture and rural environment at Columbia University, in an article published by IRIN, “At the push of a button, you have answers on soil erosion, where to farm and what crops to grow on what type of soils.”
This project is part of an ambitious global soil mapping initiative, GlobalSoilMap.net, scheduled to begin in February.
Filed under: Africa, Climate Change, Fighting Poverty, Food Poverty, Global Food Crisis, Sustainable Agriculture | Tagged: Africa, Climate Change, food insecurity, Food Poverty, food prices, Global Poverty, soil, Sustainable Agriculture
