These are great for mobilising much-needed global interest and action in efforts to protect this finite resource on which our lives depend (even the White House posted a blog on ‘Why soil rocks’ last week).

 

But it is small scale farmers who suffer the effects of land degradation and poor soil health the most – and, as guardians of 80 per cent of the world’s farmland, it is they who are most in need of affordable and practical solutions to protect their soil.

 

Research plays an important role in this – analysing the effects of climate change on soil or the causes of degradation and erosion, and testing different options to determine best-bet solutions for farmer circumstances.

 

But how do research results get into farmer’s hands?

 

In East Africa, scientists are turning to television…

 

Picture credit: Land degradation affects 67 per cent of Africa. Credit: S.Malyon / CIAT

 

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