06 December

The 5th of December marked World Soils Day! This year’s event coincides with COP16 Riyadh, so to celebrate, the Sustainable Soils Alliance (SSA) has published an overview of soil’s role in COP summits on climate, biodiversity and desertification across the years. Head to our website to read more.

The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland has pledged a ‘radical’ shift in food policy. The new strategy adopts a ‘whole government approach’ to agricultural systems change, including a promise to build an environmentally sustainable and resilient agri-food supply chain.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reiterated the importance of legislating against peatland degradation in the UK. The IUCN have published a progress report - five years on from their initial UK Peatland Strategy report – which highlights the need for more peatland protection and restoration policy across the UK’s governments.

On Monday, the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) kicked off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi delegation look set to introduce a roadmap to halt land degradation which includes an extensive global soil health improvement strategy.

Industry campaigners are in the process of organising new farmer protests across the UK, including demonstrations in London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh with a date set for Wednesday 11th December. The planned protests follow numerous UK-wide rallies over the last few weeks as concern grows over the government's farm inheritance tax plans, post-Brexit trade deals and the removal of farming grants.

This week, the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) 2024 Annual Conference took place in Cardiff. The overall conference theme is Sustainable Soils for People and Planet, introducing the latest research and developments in soil science within the built, natural environment and agricultural sectors.

A team of researchers and farmers are developing a process to create a carbon storage substance from livestock slurry. Farmers and researchers in Anglesey and Carmarthenshire have developed a process of pyrolysing cattle slurry to produce biochar, a super charcoal which can increase soil carbon sequestration.