Conserving and rehabilitating soil to promote food security, smallholder farms and climate protection

Context

The amount of fertile soil that the world loses annually would cover an area equivalent to one third of Germany. This has grave consequences for the world's food supply and for the climate, particularly in the arid regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Smallholder farms often have no access to appropriate and affordable means and methods of cultivation. The problem is compounded by a lack of functional cooperation between government agencies, civil society and the private sector. Cooperation is important for farmers, livestock farmers and local communities to be part of the decision-making process and to campaign for better conditions. Cooperation is also important for sharing knowledge and bringing innovative approaches in policy-making.

Objective

New approaches to healthy soil and sustainable farming are successfully disseminated in select partner countries.

Approach

The project joins forces with partner organisations to implement the following measures:

Using new approaches to restore agricultural land with healthy soil and to promote sustainable agriculture.

Supporting small and medium enterprises in developing viable business models that offer products and services related to the new approaches.

Supporting the launch and expansion of initiatives to create incentives such as support programmes, standards and reduced taxes that benefit the land. These incentives can accelerate progress on soil fertility and climate-smart farming.

Last update: March 2025