15 November
The United Nation Conference of the Parties 29 (COP29) in Baku is well underway, with representatives from just under 200 countries convening to address the climate crisis. ‘Food, Water and Agriculture’ day on Tuesday 19th will be an important day for soils and climate-friendly farming – keep an eye on our X account for more information.
On the first day of COP29 diplomats came to an agreement on key rules that govern the trade of carbon credits, drawing wide criticism stating that talks over carbon credit are being rushed. This agreement will be highly consequential to the way soils – as the largest land carbon sink – will be managed globally.
This week saw the launch of the Soil Atlas 2024, a joint publication by EU think tanks Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and TMG which highlights the consequences of the global loss of fertile soil and shows the potential of sustainable and fair land use and soil management for climate protection and biodiversity.
Over 10,000 British farmers are expected to gather in London this month to protest the changes to Agricultural Property Relief taxation announced in the government’s Autumn Budget 2024. The protest will be accompanied by a ‘mass lobby’ wherein members of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) will petition MPs to overturn the Budget changes.
A new study has indicated that some innovative materials proposed as plastic substitutes might pose significant soil health risks and may be extremely harmful to soil biodiversity. Researchers are warning that bio-based plastic alternatives must be thoroughly studied before being used in consumer products.
Farmer Tony Langford has opened his farm near Aylesbury for public use to diversify the farm’s land use strategy and to encourage people to reconnect with nature. As part of his effort to build up the farm’s agritourism offering, he has invested in restoring soil health across his farm’s pastures and wetlands.
Johannah Churchill’s photography exhibition which documents a farmer’s transition towards land management for improved soil health has launched at The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre. The exhibition, entitled Unearthed: Soil Restoration in Northumberland will run until January 2025.