June 30 to July 13, 2023
“4 per 1000” initiative - Quote
June 30, 2023
Is Soil How We Save The Climate?
Agriculture and Agroforestry - Soil - Food Security - Forest - Carbon
Soils - Agriculture - Improving soil - Farming - Better farming techniques - 1.5C heating target
July 4, 2023
Improving soil could keep world within 1.5C heating target, research suggests
Better farming techniques across the world could lead to storage of 31 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide a year, data shows
Soils - Soil samples - Key nutrient targets
July 12, 2023
25% of soil samples failing on key nutrient targets
https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/25-of-soil-samples-failing-on-key-nutrient-targets
Soils - Soil health - Nutrients - Key role
July 5, 2023
Soil health: The key role of nutrients
https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/opinion/soil-health-the-key-role-of-nutrients/
Soil - Tool - Conservation - Agricultural lands - Study
June 30, 2023
Sounds of the soil: A new tool for conservation?
* Researchers are discovering that listening to the soil can be a way to understand biodiversity belowground without having to overturn every bit of the land.
* Studies have shown that soils of restored forest areas have both more complex sounds and more critters than soils of degraded sites.
* Soils of intensively managed agricultural lands, also appear to be quieter, indicating that soil sounds could be a proxy for soil health.
* Some researchers are also using sounds to identify distinct species in the soil, which could open up lots of possibilities for both pest management and wildlife conservation.
Soil - Soil carbon capture - Microbes - Role - Study
June 27, 2023
Microbes play leading role in soil carbon capture, study shows
* Soil is a significant carbon reservoir, storing more carbon than all plants, animals and the atmosphere combined, making it crucial for addressing the climate crisis.
* Microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, are the primary drivers of carbon storage in soil, surpassing other soil processes by a factor of four, according to a new study in Nature.
* The efficiency of microbial metabolism plays a vital role in determining the amount of organic carbon stored in soils worldwide, according to the research, which also calls for improved soil carbon models for effective policies and climate solutions.
* Enhancing microbial efficiency can lead to increased carbon storage in soils, but further research is needed to understand how to achieve this.
Agriculture - Food - El Nino - Rice crops - Guatemala
July 13, 2023
El Nino is threatening rice crops while grain supplies already are squeezed by the war in Ukraine
https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-el-nino-rice-ukraine-c094d60a613a9bb861505130fb4958c4
Agriculture - Agroecology schools - Restore degraded land - Guatemala
July 7, 2023
Agroecology schools help communities restore degraded land in Guatemala
* The transformation of ancestral lands into intensive monoculture plantations has led to the destruction of Guatemala’s native forests and traditional practices, as well as loss of livelihoods and damage to local health and the environment.
* A network of more than 40 Indigenous and local communities and farmer associations are developing agroecology schools across the country to promote the recovery of ancestral practices, educate communities on agroecology and teach them how to build their own local economies.
* Based on the traditional “campesino a campesino” (from farmer to farmer) method, the organizations says it has improved the livelihoods of 33,000 families who use only organic farming techniques and collectively protect 74,000 hectares (182,858 acres) of forest across Guatemala.
Agriculture - Food - Poisonous pea - Crop - Climate crisis - Sciences
July 8, 2023
Scientists say poisonous pea could be made vital climate crisis crop
Gene editing or selective breeding hold promise of a non-toxic variety of the protein-rich and drought-resistant plant
Agriculture - Livestock - Climate change - Daffodil diet - Methane emissions
July 10, 2023
Climate change: Could daffodil diet for livestock help?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-66147726
Agriculture - Agroecology - Farmer autonomy - Lebanese project
June 29, 2023
One seed at a time: Lebanese project promotes agroecology for farmer autonomy
* Lebanese organic seed farm Buzuruna Juzuruna is on a mission, part of a growing network of agroecological efforts in the country, to change conventional farming through seed sharing and communal education.
* Despite its location in the Fertile Crescent, Lebanon today relies heavily on imports to feed its population due to economic collapse, conflicts and political upheaval.
* Buzuruna Juzuruna is using multiple efforts, including free classes, festivals and even circus performances to expose local farmers to older, more ecological methods of farming.
* In its work, Buzuruna Juzuruna emulates the ecosystems it treasures, by being open-source and horizontal in design.
Agriculture - Farming - Farmers - More incentives - To cut emissions
June 27, 2023
Farmers need more incentives to cut emissions — report
A consulting group's report said agricultural emissions need to be cut sharply — but with potential rewards for farmers — if the global temperature rise is to be held to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Agriculture régénérative - Aliments - Environnement
9 juillet 2023
Agriculture régénérative : cultiver des aliments et restaurer l'environnement
Les nouvelles technologies et l'agriculture régénérative promettent d'augmenter la production alimentaire tout en réduisant l'impact environnemental : la façon dont nous produisons des aliments peut également sauver la planète
Agriculture - Café - Agroforesterie - Méthodes agroforestières - Résilience climatique - Ouganda
6 juillet 2023
Café et résilience climatique en Ouganda
Un projet aide les agriculteurs à adapter des méthodes agroforestières à la culture des grains de café dans le respect de l’environnement. Ils espèrent ainsi augmenter leur production de café sans recourir aux pesticides tout en préservant la fertilité et la santé des sols pour l’avenir.
Sols - Carbone - Stockage carbone - Recherche - Cirad
7 juillet 2023
Limiter l’évaporation du carbone contenu dans les sols
Un groupe de huit scientifiques du Cirad vient de publier les résultats d’un long travail de recherche sur l’impact des activités humaines sur le stockage du carbone dans les sols.
https://www.cultivar.fr/technique/limiter-levaporation-du-carbone-contenu-dans-les-sols
Climate
Climate change - Record high temperature - Earth
July 6, 2023
Earth hit an unofficial record high temperature this week – and stayed there
Climate change - Average global temperature - Rise - Earth
July 5, 2023
Tuesday was world’s hottest day on record – breaking Monday’s record
Average global temperature hits 17.18C and experts expect record to be broken again very soon
Climate change - Rain - Heaviest rain - Japan
July 10, 2023
Japan sees ‘heaviest rain ever: Is climate change making downpours more extreme?
Climat - Changement climatique - Inondations
10 juillet 2023
Inondations monstres en Espagne, aux Etats-Unis, au Japon : vers un été climatique hors norme
Personne n’est à l’abri. New York et le sud-ouest du Japon ce week-end, Saragosse en Espagne la semaine passée… Ces derniers jours, de violents orages et des pluies torrentielles se sont abattues aux quatre coins du monde, entraînant inondations et glissements de terrain. Retour sur une semaine de tous les risques alors que l’été 2023 s’annonce déjà hors norme.
Climate change - Deforestation
June 27, 2023
Climate change: Deforestation surges despite pledges
Climate - Climate change - Real time map
June 30, 2023
This map shows the consequences of climate change on the planet
Climat - Dérèglement climatique - Carte en temps réel
9 juillet 2023
CARTE. Visualisez en temps réel les conséquences du dérèglement climatique sur la planète
Quels changements nos écosystèmes sont-ils susceptibles de subir dans les trois prochaines décennies, sous l'effet du réchauffement climatique ? Un outil de cartographie disponible gratuitement en ligne, conçu par une entreprise et une université américaines, nous donne un aperçu.
Policies and Governments
EU - European Parliament - Biodiversity - Ecosystems - Restoration
July 12, 2023
First attempt to kill EU nature law fails in Parliament vote
https://www.politico.eu/article/first-attempt-to-kill-eu-nature-law-fails-in-parliament-vote/
EU - European Parliament - Biodiversity - Ecosystems - Restoration
July 12, 2023
Euronews covers the latest vote on the EU Nature Restoration Law today which resulted in 336 votes in favour of the amended law and 300 against, with 13 abstention in the European Parliament. The outcome means the regulation will be sent back to the European Parliament's environment committee, where it had been previously voted down. If the committee moves it forward, the European Parliament will be able to enter negotiations with member states, which have already established a common position on the file, to fine-tune the provisions and craft a compromise text that could then be endorsed by both co-legislators. The regulation establishes binding targets in seven fields of action, such as farmlands, peatlands, pollinators and sea bottoms, with the goal of reversing the environmental damage caused by unchecked human activity and climate change. [source Nature4Climate]
UE - Parlement européen - Biodiversité - Ecosystèmes - Restauration
12 juillet 2023
Biodiversité : cinq questions sur le projet de restauration des écosystèmes, qui a obtenu un premier feu vert au Parlement européen
Le Parlement a adopté, mercredi à Strasbourg, une version amendée de ce texte, qui prévoit d'imposer aux Etats membres des objectifs contraignants de restauration des terres et espaces marins abîmés par la pollution ou l'exploitation intensive.
UE - Parlement européen - Restauration - Nature - Projet de loi
12 juillet 2023
Le projet de loi sur la restauration de la nature adopté par le Parlement européen, dans une version minimale
Les députés européens ont voté contre une motion de rejet farouchement soutenue par la droite avant d’adopter le texte prévoyant des objectifs de restauration des terres et d’espaces marins.
EU - Climate goals - Nature restoration law
July 10, 2023
Timmermans: EU climate goals ‘hinge on’ success of nature restoration law
EU - European Commission - Soils - Food security - Law
July 6, 2023
EU sets out first-ever soil law to protect food security and slow global heating
Proposal to improve soil health throughout continent by 2050 criticised for lack of legally binding targets
EU - European Commission - Soils - European legislation - Lacking ambition
July 5, 2023
Commission tables first EU soil law, slammed for ‘lacking ambition’
EU - Europe - Farmers lobby
June 29, 2023
The truth behind Europe’s most powerful farmers lobby
Copa-Cogeca claims to speak for all farmers. Critics say it only represents large enterprises.
https://www.politico.eu/article/copa-cogeca-farmering-lobby-europe/
EU - Europe - Farmers lobby - Point of view
June 30, 2023
In the Name of the Farmers
Who gets a seat at the Brussels table and do they truly speak for the people they say they represent?
EU - Commission - New EU Green Deal - Soil
July 8, 2023
Commission tables new EU Green Deal package focusing on soil, waste and new genomic techniques
The European Commission presented on July 5th its Green Deal package called “sustainable use of plant and soil natural resources”, which contains four different proposals.
The latest array of laws, which not only aims are making sustainable use of key natural resources the norm, but also strengthening the resilience of EU food systems and farming, includes: the Directive on soil monitoring, the Regulation on plants produced by new genomic techniques, the Revision of food waste and textile aspects of the waste framework directive, and the Revision of legislation on seeds and other plant and forest reproductive material.
Soil monitoring law: the objective of the new soil directive is to create a monitoring framework for all soils in Europe. It also aims at making sustainable management of soils the norm, by setting a list of practices to be used in EU countries, as well as requesting them to identify, investigate and remediate potentially contaminated sites.
Food waste proposal: According to the adopted text, Member States are required to take the necessary measures to reduce food waste by the end of 2030 by 10%, in processing and manufacturing, and by 30% (per capita), jointly at retail and consumption (restaurants, food services and households) compared to 2020 levels.
To know more, have a look at the following pages:
- Press release: http://bitly.ws/Kxbe
- Ensuring resilient and sustainable use of EU's natural resources: http://bitly.ws/Kxbs
- Questions and Answers on a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience: http://bitly.ws/KxbI
- Frequently Asked Questions: Reducing Food Waste in the EU: http://bitly.ws/KxbP
UE - Bruxelles - Sols - Préservation - Législation européenne
7 juillet 2023
Bruxelles propose une directive sur la santé des sols
Cette première législation européenne vise à ne compter, en 2050, que des sols sains dans l’Union européenne. Elle enjoint notamment les États membres à s’engager dans la préservation de cette ressource, sans toutefois imposer de mesures aux agriculteurs.
UE - Commission européenne - Sols - Législation européenne - Ambition à la baisse
6 juillet 2023
La Commission européenne revoit à la baisse son ambition de protéger les sols
Près de dix ans après l’échec d’une législation similaire, la Commission européenne veut protéger les sols au même titre que l’air, l’eau ou l’environnement marin sans introduire d’objectifs intermédiaires contraignants.
Scotland - Farming - Agriculture - Agriculture Bill - Farmers
July 10, 2023
Scotland farming: What is the Agriculture Bill and what does it mean for farmers?
The Bill is due to be brought to the Scottish Parliament this year.
France - Etat - Condamnation - Effrondement du vivant - Pesticides
30 juin 2023
Effrondement du vivant : l’Etat condamné à réparer le préjudice évologique causé par l’usage des pesticides
C'était le premier procès sur la biodiversité. Il se conclut sur la condamnation de l'État, pour ne pas avoir respecté ses obligations de réduction de pesticides, causant un préjudice écologique. Le Tribunal administratif de Paris donne un an au gouvernement pour réparer ce préjudice et prévenir l’aggravation des dommages.
Tools
Small Farmer Atlas - 10,000 small-scale farmers - Comprehensive survey - Solidaridad Network
July 12, 2023
Solidaridad Network launches the Small Farmer Atlas, a comprehensive survey based on the input of 10,000 small-scale farmers in 18 countries on 3 continents. The survey sought out their perspectives on issues ranging from prosperity and income, to bargaining power and land use to create a data rich resource focused on eight commodities. [source Nature4Climate]
https://stories.solidaridadnetwork.org/the-small-farmer-atlas/index.html
