permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@intrex.net>]

Food Crisis and Soil Health (New York Times)

May 8, 1:09 PM (ET) NYTimes

By SETH BORENSTEIN


WASHINGTON (AP) - Science has provided the souped-up seeds to feed the
world, through biotechnology and old-fashioned crossbreeding. Now the
problem is the dirt they're planted in.

As seeds get better, much of the world's soil is getting worse and people
are going hungry. Scientists say if they can get the world out of the
economically triggered global food crisis, better dirt will be at the root
of the solution.

Soils around the world are deteriorating with about one-fifth of the world's
cropland considered degraded in some manner. The poor quality has cut
production by about one-sixth, according to a World Resources Institute
study. Some scientists consider it a slow-motion disaster.

In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 1 million square miles of cropland have shown
a "consistent significant decline," according to a March 2008 report by a
worldwide consortium of agricultural institutions.

The cause of the current global food crisis is mostly based on market
forces, speculation and hoarding, experts say. But beyond the economics lie
droughts and floods, plant diseases and pests, and all too often, poor soil.

A generation ago, through better types of plants, Earth's food production
exploded in what was then called the "green revolution." Some people thought
the problem of feeding the world was solved and moved on. However,
developing these new "magic seeds" was the easy part. The crucial element,
fertile soil, was missing.

"The first thing to do is to have good soil," said Hans Herren, winner of
the World Food Prize. "Even the best seeds can't do anything in sand and
gravel."

Herren is co-chairman of the International Assessment of Agricultural
Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development, a collection of
scientists sponsored by the United Nations and World Bank. It produced a
2,500-page report last month which, among other recommendations, emphasized
a need to improve the world's soil.

Genetic improvements in corn make it possible to grow up to 9,000 pounds of
corn per acre in Africa. But millions of poor African farmers only get about
500 pounds an acre "because over the years, their soils have become very
infertile and they can't afford to purchase fertilizers," said Roger Leakey,
a co-author of the international report and professor at James Cooke
University in Australia.

Soil and water issues "have been taken for granted," said Ohio State
University soil scientist Rattan Lal. "It is a problem that is not going to
be solved. It's going to get worse before it gets better."

In Africa, farmers are forced to use practices that rob nutrients from the
soil, not put it back, said Herren, who heads an Arlington, Va., nonprofit.
Fertilizer is a quick, short-term fix, but even that isn't being done, he
said.

The current crisis could have been avoided "if we, the world, had promoted
fertilizer in Africa and we have known for ages it works," said Pedro
Sanchez, Columbia University tropical agricultural director.

In that way, the problem with soil is a prime example of a larger failing of
agriculture science, said Sanchez, who has won both the World Food Prize and
a MacArthur genius grant. Scientists have the knowledge to feed the world
right now, but that is not happening, Sanchez said. "It's very frustrating,
especially when you see children dying."

The fruits of biotechnology and the staples of modern agricultural
scientific techniques include irrigation, crop rotation, reduced tilling,
use of fertilizer and improved seeds. It's a way of farming differently
instead of just using better seeds that requires extra money up-front that
many African farmers don't have, scientists said.

Fixing soil just isn't "sexy" enough to interest governments or charities,
said Robert Zeigler, director general of the International Rice Research
Institute in Manila, Philippines.

Zeigler's center last week planted its 133rd crop of rice in the same land
since 1963, trying to pinpoint the right combination of nitrogen and
fertilizer. Better seeds worked wonders. But finding money for soil health
is difficult and because of that, less work is accomplished, he said.

But there are success stories, Sanchez said, pointing to the small African
country of Malawi. Three years ago, the country's new president invested 8
percent of Malawi's national budget in a subsidy program to get fertilizer
and better seeds to small farmers. Each farmer got two bags of fertilizer
and 4 1/2 pounds of seeds at less than half the cost.

Before the program started, one-third of Malawi was on food aid and the
country wasn't growing enough food for itself, Sanchez said. It was
producing 1.2 million tons of maize in 2005. In 2006, Malawi had more than
doubled its production. By 2007 and 2008, the crop was up to 3.4 and 3.3
million tons. Now Malawi is exporting corn.

"In two years, the country has changed from a food aid recipient to a food
aid donor and is self-sufficient," Sanchez said. "if Malawi can do it,
richer countries like Nigeria, Kenya can do it."

---

On the Net:

International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology
for Development:
http://www.agassessment.org/index.cfm?PageAbout_IAASTD&ItemID2

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research:

http://www.cgiar.org/

Tropical Agriculture Program at Columbia University:

http://www.earth.columbia.edu/tropag/