Tropical soils and food security: the next 50 years

Stocking, M.A. (2003) Tropical soils and food security: the next 50 years. Science (Washington), 302 (5649). pp. 1356-1359.

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Abstract

An appreciation of the dynamism of the links between soil resources and society provides a platform for examining food security over the next 50 years. Interventions to reverse declining trends in food security must recognize the variable resilience and sensitivity of major tropical soil types. In most agro-ecosystems, declining crop yield is exponentially related to loss of soil quality. For the majority smallholder (subsistence) farmers, investments to reverse degradation are primarily driven by private benefit, socially or financially. 'Tragedy of the commons' scenarios can be averted by pragmatic local solutions that help farmers to help themselves.

Item Type: Article
Author Affiliation: School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
Subjects: Plant Production
Social Sciences > Agricultural Economics
Soil Science and Microbiology > Soil Sciences
Divisions: Other Crops
Depositing User: Sandhya Gir
Date Deposited: 18 Oct 2010 10:17
Last Modified: 21 Oct 2010 03:25
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1088579
URI: http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/122

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