April 5 to 12, 2024
Initiative « 4 pour 1000 » - Citation - Vivant - Espoir - Nature - Agriculture
6 avril 2024
Marc-André Selosse : « La solution, c’est le vivant ! »
Agriculture bio, non-labour... Les solutions sont là, déjà, amassées grâce à l’écologie et les sciences du vivant. Mais « on ne pense pas au vivant », regrette le biologiste Marc-André Sélosse, auteur de Nature et préjugés.
Agriculture and Agroforestry - Soil - Food Security - Forest - Carbon
Soil - Soil Health - Food System - UK earthworm population
8 April 2024
‘Vital for looking after the soil’: fears as UK earthworm population declines
Keystone species has potentially enormous effects on above-ground wildlife and ecosystem functioning
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/08/uk-earthworm-population-in-decline
Agriculture - Farmers - Natural farming - Climate - Extreme weather - India
8 April 2024
Farmers in India are hit hard by extreme weather. Some say expanding natural farming is the answer
Agriculture - Food - Food System - Food resilience challenge - Climate change - Climate crisis
5 April 2024
Getting The Food System Ready For Climate Shocks
Food - Food supplies - Food insecurity - Hunger - Drought - Climate change - El Nino - Southern Africa
3 April 2024
El Nino-linked drought threatens energy and food supplies in southern Africa with millions at risk
An extreme drought is parching countries across southern Africa, withering crops, licking away at the Zambezi River and threatening energy and food production. The drought has been blamed on the warming El Nino weather pattern and warmer temperatures from climate change.
Agriculture - Biochar - ‘From Bush To Biochar’ Initiative - Planboo - Omiti Biochar - Namibia
4 April 2024
Planboo And Omiti Biochar Launch ‘From Bush To Biochar’ Initiative In Namibia
Agriculture - Cows - Greenhouse gas emissions - Investment - Marks & Spencer - Firm
9 April 2024
M&S invests £1m in tackling methane from burping and farting cows
Retailer works on changing diet with aim of cutting 11,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year. Marks & Spencer is investing £1m in tackling cows’ carbon footprint by changing the diet of the herds that provide its milk.
Agriculture - Food supply - Greener production - Africa - PwC report
4 April 2024
Future-proofing Africa’s food supply through greener production, less waste — PwC report
Agriculture - Sustainable farming methods - Soil Health - LEAF's inaugural Caroline Drummond Scholarship
4 April 2024
Applications open for LEAF's inaugural Caroline Drummond Scholarship
An annual industry scholarship worth up to £25,000 to help support the adoption of sustainable farming methods has launched for applications.
Nature-based climate solutions - Scientific basis - United States - Agriculture - Ecosystems - Carbon - GES
27 March 2024
Nature-based climate solutions in the United States need a better scientific basis
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2318505121?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Biochar - Brazil - NetZero
28 March 2024
NetZero Locks In $18M Investment from STOA To Open New Biochar Facilities In Brazil
Agriculture - Agriculture naturelle - Agriculture biologique - Sols - Fermiers - Changement climatique - Inde
7 avril 2024
Face au changement climatique, des fermiers indiens tentent l’agriculture naturelle
Agriculture - Viticulture - Viniculture - Vins - Santé des sols - Agroforesterie - Climat - Adaptation
4 avril 2024
Quand le vin s’adapte aux changements climatiques
https://www.toutsurlevin.ca/quand-le-vin-sadapte-aux-changements-climatiques/
Agriculture - Systèmes alimentaires - Sécurité alimentaire - Santé des sols - Innovation - IA – Afrique - Fondation Rockefeller - UA - FAO
4 avril 2024
Mehrdad Ehsani: « l’innovation optimise la transformation des systèmes alimentaires »
Alors qu’approche l’échéance de la mise en œuvre du deuxième objectif de développement durable (ODD2), la sécurité alimentaire est compromise jour après jour par les guerres, le déficit de financement et le retard dans la digitalisation des systèmes agricoles. Dans le même temps, le débat s’agite autour de la compensation carbone sur laquelle se ruent les multinationales de l’agroalimentaire accusées de déforestation massive. Autant de sujets pour lesquels Mehrdad Ehsani apporte son éclairage scientifique dans cet entretien. Il est le vice-président Afrique de l’Initiative alimentaire pour la fondation américaine Rockefeller.
Sols - Santé des sols - Terres agricoles et viticoles - Bactéries - Microbiote - Cartographie - Starfish Bioscience - Entreprises
6 avril 2024
Starfish Bioscience : La santé des sols par le microbiote
BORDEAUX. Créée en 2023 par Sandrine Claus, la start-up Starfish Bioscience s’attelle à cartographier les bactéries présentes dans les sols et leurs fonctions, afin de créer des produits permettant de lutter contre l'appauvrissement des terres agricoles et viticoles. Objectif : « apporter des solutions à une grande partie des enjeux liés à la sécurité alimentaire ».
Agriculture - Tribune - Artistes - Transition agricole - Agroécologie - Manifestation - Bruxelles
8 avril 2024
Vive la transition agricole !
TRIBUNE - Nous appelons artistes, comédien.nes, musicien·nes, à nous rejoindre pour revendiquer l’indispensable transition agricole, au service de l’intérêt général. Soyons nombreuses et nombreux le 11 avril, place du Luxembourg proche du Parlement Européen à Bruxelles à 16 heures pour faire entendre notre voix !
Agriculture - Clarins - Chaînes d’approvisionnement - Biodiversité - Pratiques agricoles innovantes - Entreprise - Gard - France
9 avril 2024
Gard : CLARINS mer la main sur 115 hectares entre Saint-Gilles et Générac
Le groupe de cosmétique français Clarins (1,75 milliard d’euros de chiffre d’affaire en 2022), annonce avoir acquis « un vaste espace naturel de 115 hectares de végétation situé sur les communes de Saint-Gilles et de Générac ». Clarins a fait l’acquisition du Domaine de Sainte Colombe situé pour 70% sur le territoire de la ville de Saint-Gilles.
https://infoccitanie.fr/gard-clarins-met-la-main-sur-115-hectares-entre-saint-gilles-et-generac/
Policies and Governments
U.S. - Congress - Agriculture - Conservation - Farm groups - Farmers - Lawmakers
3 April 2024
Over 80% of the EU’s farming subsidies support emissions-intensive animal products – new study
This is an op-ed from the authors of a new study which found that “the vast majority of the EU’s agricultural subsidies are supporting meat and dairy farming rather than sustainable plant alternatives”.
U.S. - USDA - Agriculture - Farmers - Conservation - Climate-Smart Agriculture - Funding
3 April 2024
USDA Makes $1.5 Billion Available to Help Farmers Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
Funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will help farmers save money, create new revenue streams, enhance natural resources, and tackle the climate crisis
EU - European carbon market - Agreement - Certification - Carbon storage – Agriculture
11 April 2024
EU Parliament approves deal on world’s first carbon removal certification scheme
EU - EU Council - Nature Restoration Law
5 April 2024
EU Council position hardens against Nature Restoration Law
Poland and Finland have resisted entreaties to support the divisive Nature Restoration Law and instead switched to becoming explicit opponents, seriously limiting the Belgian EU Council Presidency’s options to move forward the file.
EU - EU agriculture ministers - Agriculture - EUDR - Austria - Environmental groups
27 March 2024
EU agriculture ministers rally behind Austria's bid to revise EUDR but environmental groups reckon EC won't be deterred
UE - Marché européen du carbone - Accord - Certification - Stockage du carbone - Agriculture
11 avril 2024
Le Parlement européen valide le premier système de certification des absorptions de carbone au monde
UE - Marché européen du carbone - Accord - Certification - Stockage du carbone - Agriculture
10 avril 2024
Le nouveau marché européen du carbone : une incitation de l’UE à réduire les émissions
Le Parlement européen a adopté, ce mercredi 10 avril, un accord définitif pour mettre en place une certification à l’échelle de l’UE relative aux absorptions et au stockage du carbone. Si la démarche est saluée par beaucoup, certains acteurs pointent des défaillances, notamment sur le volet agricole.
UE - Conseil de l’UE - Loi sur la restauration de la nature
5 avril 2024
Loi sur la restauration de la nature : l’opposition du Conseil de l’UE se renforce
La Pologne et la Finlande ont refusé de soutenir la loi sur la restauration de la nature, véritable source de discorde depuis ses débuts, et ont préféré s’y opposer explicitement, ce qui a sérieusement limité les options de la présidence belge du Conseil de l’UE pour faire avancer le dossier.
Research and Studies
Forests - Forest types - Afforestation - Carbon sequestration - Study
1 April 2024
Careful selection of forest types in afforestation can increase carbon sequestration by 25% without compromising sustainability - Tomoko Hasegawa, Shinichiro Fujimori, Akihiko Ito & Kiyoshi Takahashi
Afforestation is a major carbon dioxide removal technology but can negatively affect food and land systems. Here, we used an integrated assessment model to quantitatively demonstrate how the selection of forest type to use in afforestation could increase global carbon sequestration without compromising global food and land sustainability. Our findings indicate that if a carbon-intensive forest type is selected, afforestation would increase carbon sequestration by 25% compared to the level assuming the native forest type. At the same time, if implemented inappropriately at a large scale, afforestation would worsen the economy, food, and land systems due to decreased land efficiency in carbon removal compared to bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, leading to increased land expansion for carbon removal, higher food prices, and increased risk of hunger. These results suggest the need to implement carbon-intensive forest types with complementary measures to reduce the adverse impacts on food and land sustainability.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01336-4#author-information
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March 29 to April 5, 2024
Agriculture and Agroforestry - Soil - Food Security - Forest - Carbon
Agriculture - Agroecology - Agroecology solutions - Push-pull pest management - Citrus disease - Florida growers
3 April 2024
Florida growers eye agroecology solution to devastating citrus disease
* Virtually all of Florida’s citrus groves have been infected with citrus greening disease, also known by its Chinese name Huanglongbing, since the early 2000s.
* Despite billions of US dollars put toward rescue efforts, citrus production numbers are the lowest they have been since the Great Depression.
* Scientists from Argentina are now testing the agroecological method of push-pull pest management using an organic plant-hormone solution to lure pests away from citrus crops and toward “trap crops” instead.
* Proponents hope push-pull management, first developed in East Africa, could be part of the solution and lessen dependence on pesticides.
Agriculture - Ecological restoration - Natural regeneration - Indigenous science - Soil - Water - Western ecosystems
March 1, 2024
Underground seed banks hold promise for ecological restoration
Indigenous science is using natural regeneration to restore western ecosystems.
https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-3/underground-seed-banks-hold-promise-for-ecological-restoration/
Soil - Soil carbon - Climate - Climate goals - Australia - Study
2 April 2024
Australia’s soil to become net carbon emitter and threat to climate goals, report says
Modelling points to ‘huge’ soil emissions in interior rangelands, which are more sensitive to a warming climate
Agriculture - Cattle - Ranchers - Payment - Trees - Ecosystems
2 April 2024
Opinion - The case for paying ranchers to raise trees instead of cattle - Patrick Brown and Michael Eisen
Reducing cattle populations and restoring native ecoystems is our best chance to tackle global heating. Here’s one way to do it
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/02/cattle-trees-climate-change-solution
Agriculture - Soil Health - Sustainable Agriculture - Sustainable finance - Firms - Tesco - NatWest
28 March 2024
Tesco and NatWest launch discounted sustainable finance scheme for farmers
Retail giant Tesco has partnered with NatWest to launch a new discounted finance scheme for its farmers, providing them with preferential rates on finance to help them switch to sustainable farming methods.
https://www.edie.net/tesco-and-natwest-launch-discounted-sustainable-finance-scheme-for-farmers/
Agribusiness - Nature Loss - Grassland protections - Brazilian biomes - Brazil
28 March 2024
Agribusiness bill moves to block grassland protections in Brazilian biomes
* The Brazilian Congress is analyzing a bill that would leave all the country’s non-forestry vegetation unprotected, affecting an area twice the size of the United Kingdom.
* Behind the proposal are the interests of economic sectors such as agribusiness and real estate companies.
* The most affected biome would be the Pantanal wetlands, a Natural World Heritage Site known for its highly biodiverse grasslands and flooded fields.
Agriculture - Indian farmers - Price support - Crops - Climate threats - India
27 March 2024
What will it take to protect India’s angry farmers from climate threats?
Indebted farmers, facing falling yields and water scarcity, want legally guaranteed price support for more crops – but that may not fix their climate woes
Agriculture - Cattle Sector - Climate transitions - Sustainable Agriculture - Financial modeling tools - Brazil - Report
April 2024
Brazil’s Cattle Sector Amidst Climate Transitions
A new report from Orbitas, a Climate Advisers initiative, assessing Brazil's cattle sector and how climate action can impact its financial outlook, finds significant risks for maintaining business-as-usual practices and fast growing opportunities to invest in sustainable agriculture and emerging markets. The report is accompanied by interactive financial modeling tools to help investors, producers, buyers and other stakeholders understand how efforts to solve climate change will change market dynamics into the future. [source Nature4Climate]
https://orbitas.finance/brazil-cattle-climate-change-financial-impacts/
Agriculture - Agroforesterie - Cacao - Chocolat - Déforestation
30 mars 2024
Chocolat de Pâques : le goût amer d’une forêt qui brûle
Pourra-t-on encore consommer du cacao dans 20 ans ? Entre hausse des prix, crise écologique et baisse de la productivité, la filière doit aujourd’hui se transformer si elle veut survivre.
Agriculture - Agriculture régénérative - Agriculture agroforestière - Ferme
25 mars 2024
De la finance à la ferme : Benedikt Bösel ou la révolution de l’agriculture régénérative
Cet ancien banquier d’affaires allemand a transformé radicalement une exploitation familiale de 300 ans en un modèle d’agriculture régénérative et agroforestière.
Sols - Sols forestiers - Carbone - Stockage carbone - Etude
1er avril 2024
Certains sols forestiers stockent plus de carbone que d'autres
Les sols forestiers stockent plus de carbone que les arbres, mais le libèrent en grande quantité lors de perturbations naturelles ou de coupes de bois. Les modalités de ces processus devraient être prises en compte dans le calcul du bilan carbone, selon une étude de l'institut WSL.
Policies and Governments
U.S. - Congress - Agriculture - Conservation - Farm groups - Farmers - Lawmakers
4 April 2024
Farm groups want lawmakers to spend more on conservation
A coalition of groups urged congressional appropriators to boost funding in fiscal 2025 for technical assistance to farmers.
UN - Convention on Biological Diversity - UN biodiversity chief - Astrid Schomaker - Germany
3 April 2024
UN names veteran EU official Astrid Schomaker as new biodiversity chief
German’s appointment to head Convention on Biological Diversity follows global failure to meet any targets on protecting ecosystems
Japan - Nature positive strategy - International impact - international supply chains
30 March 2024
Japan aims at international impact in nature positive strategy
Japan has released a strategy to help companies become ‘nature positive’ both at home and in their international supply chains, reports Stian Reklev.
https://carbon-pulse.com/273147/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
EU - EU countries - Rules - Deforestation - Anti-deforestation law
26 March 2024
Majority of EU countries ask bloc to scale back deforestation law
BRUSSELS, March 26 (Reuters) - Some 20 members of the European Union asked Brussels to scale back and possibly suspend the bloc's anti-deforestation law on Tuesday, saying the policy would harm farmers, in the latest blowback against Europe's environmental agenda.
Europe - European policymakers - Rules - Agriculture - Farmers - Pesticide - Nature
3 April 2024
Europe's restless farmers are forcing policymakers to act
BRUSSELS, April 3 (Reuters) - European policymakers have scaled back rules to protect nature, drawn up limits on the import of tariff-free Ukrainian grains and scrapped new legislation limiting pesticide use as farmers' protests resonate with voters ahead of elections.
France - Agriculture - Conseil des ministres - Projet de loi - Souveraineté agricole
3 avril 2024
Agriculture : devant le conseil des ministres, un nouveau projet de loi pour produire plus, avec moins de contraintes
Après plusieurs reports, le projet de loi d’orientation pour la souveraineté agricole, profondément remanié depuis janvier sous la pression syndicale, est présenté mercredi 3 avril.
France - Agriculture - Conseil des ministres - Projet de loi agricole - Transition écologique
3 avril 2024
Un projet de loi agricole sans transition écologique présenté en conseil des ministres
France - Fonctionnaires - Réseau écologiste - Safer - Agroécologie
27 mars 2024
Comment des fonctionnaires veulent réorienter les Safer vers l’agroécologie ?
Les Safer doivent devenir un acteur majeur de la transition agroécologique, préconise le réseau écologiste de fonctionnaires Le Lierre dans une note publiée à quelques jours de la présentation du projet de loi d’orientation agricole.
https://www.reussir.fr/comment-des-fonctionnaires-veulent-reorienter-les-safer-vers-lagroecologie
Research and Studies
Soil - Fungal community composition - Forest carbon storage - European continent - Study
16 March 2024
Fungal community composition predicts forest carbon storage at a continental scale - Mark A. Anthony and all
Forest soils harbor hyper-diverse microbial communities which fundamentally regulate carbon and nutrient cycling across the globe. Directly testing hypotheses on how microbiome diversity is linked to forest carbon storage has been difficult, due to a lack of paired data on microbiome diversity and in situ observations of forest carbon accumulation and storage. Here, we investigated the relationship between soil microbiomes and forest carbon across 238 forest inventory plots spanning 15 European countries. We show that the composition and diversity of fungal, but not bacterial, species is tightly coupled to both forest biotic conditions and a seven-fold variation in tree growth rates and biomass carbon stocks when controlling for the effects of dominant tree type, climate, and other environmental factors. This linkage is particularly strong for symbiotic endophytic and ectomycorrhizal fungi known to directly facilitate tree growth. Since tree growth rates in this system are closely and positively correlated with belowground soil carbon stocks, we conclude that fungal composition is a strong predictor of overall forest carbon storage across the European continent.
