Soil Mapping

In Context

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has started the Soil Mapping project in sub-Saharan Africa for better use of fertilisers, improving food security.

About 

• Soil Mapping:
  • It is a technique which has become usual within the so-called precision farming, which uses the most advanced technology to obtain the most accurate information about the condition of the soil, the weather and the crops.
• Advantages of Soil Mapping:
  • It can improve short-term flexibility to adapt to trends in fertiliser markets and climate dynamics without compromising output.
    • It will reduce waste when applying fertilizers and increase their effectiveness.
  • It helps in creation of national soil databases and soil information systems that can be used by policymakers, the private sector and especially farmers for their long-term benefits.
• Soil Mapping Project:
  • The project has been fast-tracked and will organise and improve existing soil maps in Guatemala and Honduras, as well as other countries in central America and SSA. 
  • FAO is already supporting the scale-up of a soil-mapping project in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian project used digital soil nutrient mapping technologies to generate timely information on how to optimise fertiliser use. 
  • The largest increase in moderate or severe food insecurity between 2020 and 2021 was seen in Africa. Within sub-Saharan Africa, Middle Africa is the sub-region facing the highest levels of food insecurity.
  • Need:
    • Unsustainable agricultural practices, lack of resources and capacity development and nutrient underuse in SSA have resulted in significant soil nutrient depletion, low crop yields, and poverty, leaving many farm families in a scenario of vulnerability and food insecurity.
    • Many African countries lack policies regulating soil as well as the capacity, knowledge and experience to plan and implement sustainable soil management programmes. 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 

• About:
  • It is a specialized agency established by the United Nations in 1945 that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
  • It is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
  • It strives to provide information and support sustainable agriculture through legislation and national strategies, with a goal of alleviating hunger.
  • It works to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. 
• Major Publications released:
  • The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA).
  • The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO).
  • The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).

Source: DTE