Investing in Farmers for Ecosystem Services: A Path to Healthy Soils – Food Tank

Farmers: Key Players in Restoring Soils for Sustainable Development

The Role of Farmers in Soil Restoration

Farmers hold the key to restoring the world’s soils, says Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science at the Ohio State University and a Goodwill Ambassador for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). But their ability to fulfill this role requires food and agriculture systems stakeholders to economically support their efforts. 

The Urgency of Soil Degradation

“We have 40 percent of the earth seriously degraded by erosion, by salinity, by waterlogging, nutrient depletion, depletion of organic matter,” Lal stated during a fireside chat with Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise of Belize that IICA and Food Tank co-hosted at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan. 

The Impact of Soil Degradation on Food Quality and Communities

And when the soils are degraded, Lal warns, food quality, yields, and ultimately communities suffer. “People are the mirror image of the soil they live on.” To make soils more productive, “the farmers are the key players.”

The Need for Support and Compensation

“The small farmers of the Americas, want, desire, hope to help improve the environment we live in,” Mai says. “But help the farmer to help the situation.” 

Lal notes that food producers are often forced to bear great risks when they change their agricultural practices. And although the world demands a great amount from them, Lal and Mai say that they receive little in return. That’s why Lal advocates for compensation to be given to farmers for their “ecosystem services.”

The Importance of Collaboration

Lal also calls for greater cooperation between farmers and policymakers, researchers, and the private sector. If these relationships can be developed with producers at the center, “this transformation [of agricultural systems] will happen,” he says. 

The Living Soils of the Americas Initiative

Through IICA’s Living Soils of the Americas initiative, which Lal leads, efforts are underway to foster these connections in North and South America. Bringing together technical cooperation, governmental, international and civil society organizations, and agri-food businesses, the initiative employs land management practices used to boost carbon sequestration and slow land degradation.   

The Urgency of Support for Farmers

Both Lal and Mai underscore the urgency of this work, with Mai stating that the farmers needed support “yesterday.” Still, Lal remains optimistic. If policymakers, the next generation of farmers, and institutions like IICA can continue to rehabilitate soils, he believes “we have a bright future ahead.”  

Watch the Conversation

Watch the full the conversation with Rattan Lal and Jose Mai from COP29 below, and catch more of the programming at IICA’s Pavilion during the Conference by clicking HERE.

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Photo courtesy of Steven Weeks, Unsplash

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The article discusses the importance of restoring soils for sustainable food production (SDG 2) and the impact of degraded soils on communities and the environment (SDG 15). It also emphasizes the need for cooperation and partnerships between stakeholders to support farmers and implement sustainable land management practices (SDG 17).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 2.4: Sustainable food production systems (under SDG 2)
• Target 15.3: Land degradation neutrality (under SDG 15)
• Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation (under SDG 17)

The article highlights the need for sustainable agricultural practices to improve soil health and productivity (Target 2.4). It also emphasizes the importance of addressing land degradation and implementing measures to achieve land degradation neutrality (Target 15.3). Additionally, it calls for enhanced cooperation between stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, and the private sector, to support farmers and promote sustainable land management practices (Target 17.6).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture
• Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area
• Indicator 17.6.1: Number of science and/or technology cooperation agreements and projects between countries

The article does not explicitly mention these indicators, but they can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. Indicator 2.4.1 measures the proportion of agricultural area that adopts sustainable practices, indicating progress towards sustainable food production systems. Indicator 15.3.1 measures the extent of land degradation, providing insights into progress towards land degradation neutrality. Indicator 17.6.1 measures the number of cooperation agreements and projects between countries, reflecting progress in enhancing regional and international cooperation on science, technology, and innovation.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: foodtank.com