Blog and news
The second day here in Järna and the Living Soil Forum kicked off with another 4 keynote speakers. The theme of today was that of a local perspective, compared to yesterday’s which had more of a global focus. In fact it was even 'hyper local', as one from the organizing team phrased it; with people from around Järna presenting.
Diversified agricultural systems along with sustainable and efficient management of resources and soil fertility are essential in order to improve and maintain land productivity. To reduce starvation and malnutrition, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and partners in Africa have dedicated funding for food security related research projects.
This first day of the Living Soil Forum has had the simple purpose for participants to arrive, meet, and get a sense of what issues are on the table for this week. As such, it has been only half a day of activities, where participants have met to present themselves and broadly identify and discuss problems and priorities for soil stewardship.
Naturskyddsföreningen released a new Report “100% organic? The agro-ecological and organic farming: role for food security and environment”.
In 2008 the world’s urban population exceeded the rural population for the first time in the history. This urbanization process is happening together with growing urban poverty and food insecurity and this trend is set to continue.
A new scientific authority on issues of soils was launched at the first Plenary Assembly of the Global Soil Partnership at FAO headquarters on 11 and 12 of June, 2013.
Animal production represents more than a half of global agricultural output. Livestock products are generally more costly than arable crops and their consumption is still low in low-income countries.
In a recent debate article published in the Swedish local newspaper, Uppsala Nya Tidning, Professor Kjell Havnevik of the Nordic Africa Institute, questions the reporting of economic growth in Africa.
In the last three years SIANI has been participating and contributing to Tällberg Forums’ dialogues on Global Change.