Britain's soils are in a bad way, writes John Quinton, and the government is doing little to help - indeed its policies are making the problems worse. So concludes yesterday's Environment Audit Committee report on soil health. But are ministers bothered?
… Save our soils! John Quinton | 3rd June 2016 Comment … wp_20160405_12_36_26_raw-cut.jpg Britain's soils are in a bad way, writes John Quinton, … Environment Audit Committee report on soil health. But are ministers bothered? When …
Bhaskar Save, the 'Gandhi of natural farming', died last year after a lifetime of organic growing and determined campaigning against the destruction of India's traditional, sustainable agriculture, writes Colin Todhunter. His 2006 open letter, published here, sets out a devastating critique of industrial agriculture and its impacts, and an eloquent and timely agroecological manifesto.
… responsible for the tragic condition of our soils and our debt-burdened farmers, driven to … experience! For countless centuries the soil has been sustained For generations beyond … levels... We have despoiled and polluted the soil, water and air. We have wiped out most of …
Organic farming produces more nutritious food than chemical agriculture, writes Colin Todhunter, while sustaining soils and building organic matter. And we know this from real, peer-reviewed scientific studies - unlike the pseudo-science touted at us by the self-interested advocates of industrial agribusiness.
… writes Colin Todhunter, while sustaining soils and building organic matter. And we know … state into a ' cancer epicentre ', and Indian soils are being depleted as a result of the … India is losing 5,334 million tonnes of soil every year due to soil erosion because of …
Tucked away in leafy Gloucestershire is a beauty brand with a ‘beyond organic’ philosophy that’s making the world sit up and take notice. Ruth Styles hopped on the train and went to meet the inspirational Denise Leicester
… Living Health And Beauty Ila Spa Eco Organic Soil Association Ecocert Fair Trade India … no links with the Fairtrade Foundation or the Soil Association . ‘So why not?’ I ask. ‘I … that would be to work very strongly with the Soil Association,’ she explains. ‘From the …
Agroecology is key to retaking control over food, farming and land from the 'monstrous machine' of agribusiness, biotech, big finance and 'free trade', writes Colin Todhunter, as it represents a truly viable alternative to agriculture for corporate profit. But such are the powers ranged against the world's small farmers that it must be supported by a broad-based, global people's movement.
… diversity, which threatens food security, soils are being degraded, water tables … has adversely impacted the nature of food, soil, human health and the environment. Sold … of grain provided more biomass, shaded the soil from the sun and protected against its …
India's decision to release GMO cotton seeds that incorporate genes for Bt toxins into indigenous 'desi' varieties threatens disaster for the country's small and organic cotton farmers, writes Vandana Shiva. The danger is that the GMO characteristics will spread rapidly into the gene pool, contaminating India's unique heritage of cotton seed diversity.
… the country? Bt-toxification and death of our soils Surely, the CICR is aware of the … has also been depletion of nutrients in the soil due to repeated cultivation of Bt cotton … which draw more nutrients and water from the soil. The crop is exhibiting nutrient …
A new vision to replace our grazing land with energy crops will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but many are unwilling to embrace its suggestions for our future diet and countryside
… does not just revolve around markets. The Soil Association argues that CAT’s vision … sequesters large amounts of carbon in the soil. While sheep, beef and dairy numbers … head of research and innovation at CAT. The Soil Association is among those who have …
Imagine you could turn 30 per cent of your household waste, at no cost, into high-quality compost for your plants, while also reducing toxic emissions from incinerator plants...
… nutrients that your food, etc, took from the soil and helping them grow back into the soil. According to the Washington-based … earth lost 480 billion tonnes of valuable topsoil, which was washed into rivers and oceans …
The biofuels of the future will depend on microbes, writes Almuth Ernsting: algae to produce the biomass, and fungi or bacteria to break cellulose down into useful molecules. Just one problem: wild strains aren't up to the job. So scientists are trying to genetically engineer supercharged 'synthetic biology' variants - which will inevitably enter the environment. What could possibly go wrong?
… residues for biofuels would worsen soil degradation. In reality, the prospects of … alarm: they had investigated the effects on soils and plants of a bacterium genetically … pot experiment, all wheat plants grown in soil with the GE microbe died, and all those …
India's food system, essentially clean just a generation ago, has been comprehensively contaminated with sugar, bad fats, synthetic additives, GMOs and pesticides under the country's neoliberal 'great leap forwards', writes Colin Todhunter. The result? a surge in obesity, diabetes and cancer incidence, but no let-up in the under-nutrition of those too poor to join in the over-consumption.
… The green revolution, micronutrient deficient soil and human health We often hear … foods. Its long-term impact has led to soil degradation and mineral imbalances, which … the link between micronutrient deficiency in soil and human nutrition is increasingly …
An organic farming project based in a rural Indian village is reviving traditional agriculture and reaping the rewards.
… is all you need in order to cultivate healthy soil. Natural fertiliser Neeraj treats his … with it before they are planted, treats the soil with it during planting and waters the … many chemical fertilizers being used in the soil: “The main reason why this method of …
US researchers behind a study that showed links between gas drilling and sickness in livestock say a moratorium should be imposed on fracking in the UK until its impact on food safety can be assessed. Andrew Wasley reports
… in the ground & pollutes the area's water, soil and air.' Further along the road, a … shale gas contaminants in the water, air and soil.' He also said it was vital British … 'This would allow testing [of] air, water and soil prior to the commencement of drilling for …
Deforestation, wind erosion and poor farming practices blamed for deterioration of soil as the real costs of the Green Revolution are measured
… August 2009 News Food And Farming Erosion Soil Pesticides Chemicals India treeindia.jpg … farming practices blamed for deterioration of soil as the real costs of the Green Revolution … main causes were wind erosion and waterlogged soil. But it listed a number of other factors …
Biogas digesters are a key technology for global sustainable development, writes John M. Hawdon. They simultaneously combat parasites that infect a billion people, reduce deforestation and methane emissions, and deliver vital energy to rural communities.
… deliver vital energy to rural communities. Soil transmitted helminths (STH) are a group … involving contact with the infective stage in soil contaminated with human waste. The STHs … areas where farmers use human feces, or night soil, as fertilizer, latrine coverage is very …
The corporate war on traditional farming is nowhere fiercer than in India, writes Colin Todhunter. After decades of the 'Green Revolution' that have impoverished the nation's soils, water, biodiversity and cultivators alike, agribusiness is poised for its final strike. But now the small scale farmers who produce most of the country's food are rediscovering ancient agroecological alternatives.
… that have impoverished the nation's soils, water, biodiversity and cultivators … The farm also conducts research for improving soil fertility (see this on improving soil health in the US and the subsequent …
Conservationists search for Rufous-necked Hornbills in West Bengal, through rich forests threatened by unrest and development.
… thinned out and the trees got larger, the soil softer. There’s a certain peace that … for an incredible array of plants, animals, soils and forest types. They are islands of … The hills here have only a thin layer of soil with loose rocks underneath that can’t …
A new generation of biofuels is poised to come into the market. Grown on unused, ‘marginal’ land they won’t compete for our food crops. But just where exactly is all this marginal land, and whose backyard might it be? Helena Paul reports
… says that marginal land with poor soils can be home to a highly biodiverse … may be ‘marginal’ because it is dry, has poor soils or steep gradients – yet may have a … protecting biodiversity and water, reducing soil erosion and providing natural flood …
UK fund managers are selling investments in jatropha plantations as a wallet-swelling, planet-saving financial bonanza. But the reality for poor farmers is very different. Andrew Wasley reports
… land, and in semi-arid areas with poor soils, thus not competing with food … targeted at areas with good rainfall, fertile soils and well developed infrastructure – … apparent ability to grow on land with poor soil and without regular watering. The Friends …
UK fund managers are selling investments in jatropha plantations as a wallet-swelling, planet-saving financial bonanza. But the reality for poor farmers is very different
… land, and in semi-arid areas with poor soils, thus not competing with food … targeted at areas with good rainfall, fertile soils and well developed infrastructure – … apparent ability to grow on land with poor soil and without regular watering. Food …
Heathcote Williams remembers India's great campaigner Professor Nanjunda's whose direct actions against Monsanto, KFC, McDonalds, Coca-Cola and the WTO inspired a nation and created an unstoppable movement of 10 million ...
… deplete the microbial biodiversity of the soil Calling its fertility into question. … ruined by Monsanto's herbicide As it prepares soil for their seeds of deception. Gene … And wasn't the profound sweetness of India's soil being soured And its peasants being led …
The Chernobyl sarcophagus which has long contained the fissured reactor core is at risk of collapse, writes Claire Corkhill. The solution: build a pair of tracked arches 260m wide and 100m high, and slide them over the site to enclose it for a century to come: so creating a sealed space for robots and remotely operated machinery to deconstruct the reactor and sarcophagus piece by radioactive piece.
… has become radioactive and leaks into the soil on the reactor floor, birds have been … radiation. Hundreds of tonnes of radioactive soil had to be removed from the area, and … has become radioactive and leaks into the soil on the reactor floor. Every day, the risk …
In the midst of the US domestic energy boom, livestock on farms near oil-and-gas drilling operations nationwide have been quietly falling sick and dying. Elizabeth Royte reports
… poisoning animals through the air, water, or soil. Last year, Michelle Bamberger, an … that have tested positive for air, water, and soil contamination. Some of these chemicals …
'Desertifying' India is losing more than 30,000 hectares of arable land each year, threatening food security for its teeming millions. Already 10,000 farmers commit suicide each year. It is time to act. SAROSH BANA reports
… June. This land mass is made up of alluvial soil constituted of clay, silt and sand … has been caused by the loss of soil cover, largely driven by rainfall and … profitability, water scarcity, depleting soil health, land fragmentation, inappropriate …
A new photographic exhibition - Made in Coorg - looks at what life is like for the coffee growers of the Coorg district of southern India, where the highly fertile land is increasingly sought after for larger plantations and tourism projects
… separately by the British, due to the fertile soil that has produced the coffee and spices … demand for specialist crops for export. The soil is famous for its fertility; a wide …