Healthy soil today, resilient world tomorrow
On World Soil Day 2023, Aly Abousabaa, Director General of ICARDA and Regional Director of Central and West Asia and North Africa for CGIAR, and Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, co-authored an op-ed stressing the critical role of soil health in combating the climate crisis.
They highlight the importance of healthy soil for food production and its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance carbon storage, and improve farmers' incomes. They further discuss innovative solutions such as crop diversification, regenerative practices, water-efficient irrigation, and monitoring systems, emphasizing the urgent need for funding to develop and scale up these transformative approaches.
CGIAR has launched an investment case to secure $4 billion for research and innovation in sustainable food systems. Dr. Elouafi and Abousabaa call for a revolution in food systems, starting with soil preservation and enhancement, to address the challenges posed by the climate crisis. They emphasize CGIAR's commitment to driving this change.
