Fertile ground: harnessing the market to reverse soil degradation in South Asia

Soils are the foundation of allterrestrial life on the planet and are essential for agricultural production.Yet unsustainable farming practices are degrading soils across South Asia andmany other parts of the world, threatening food security. Soil fertility andstructure can be vastly improved through greater applications of compost,manure and other organic fertilisers. However, the shift away from diversefarming systems means that organic matter is now in short supply on many farms.There is a need to develop value chains to enable organic fertilisers andcomposts to supply much needed organic matter to depleted soils. Lessons frommulti-stakeholder initiatives in Bangladesh and Nepal illustrate the potentialfor scaling up such value chains to foster more inclusive and sustainableagriculture. View the summary, published by IIED and Practical Action, and click the red Download button..18.4.17