Healthy soils are vital for sustainable development, yet consistent soil monitoring is scarce, and soils are poorly represented in United Nations Sustainable Development Goals targets and indicators. There is a clear need for specific ambitions on soil health, accompanying metrics, and cost-effective monitoring methodologies. In this paper, we review citizen science methods and platforms which could compliment structured soil monitoring programmes and contribute to filling this knowledge gap. We focussed on soil structure, organic carbon, biodiversity, nutrients, and vegetation cover. Each method was classified as red, amber, or green (RAG) in terms of time requirements, cost, and data reliability. Toolkits were assessed in terms of cost and requirement for specialist kit. We found 32 methods across the five indicators. Three soil monitoring methods scored green on all criteria, and 20 (63%) scored green on two criteria. We found 13 toolkits appropriate for citizen science monitoring of soil health. Three of them are free, easy to use, and do not require specialist equipment. Our review revealed multiple citizen science methods and toolkits for each of the five soil health indicators. This should pave the way towards a cost-effective, joined-up approach on soil health, informing national and international policy and supporting the move towards farmer-led, data-driven decision-making.
Feeding a growing global population using conventional agricultural practices is leading toadverse environmental impacts. There is a call for alternative forms of agriculture that address social,economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability. Permaculture is a holistic design frameworkthat incorporates sustainable agricultural practices, potentially improving livelihoods. This studylooked at the challenges and benefits of permaculture in improving rural livelihoods in Zimbabweand South Africa. We used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Permaculture contributed over40% to total income for participants in both countries. However, permaculture was not the dominantsource of income and periodically straddled multiple livelihood strategies. The main benefits ofpermaculture were identified as improved human health, increased resilience to environmentalchanges, and reduction of input costs. The key challenges included high labour input, infestationof pests and diseases, and lack of knowledge on permaculture practices. Although permaculturepresents significant challenges, its integration with other forms of sustainable agricultural practicescan contribute to improved rural livelihoods.
Illegal wildlife crime is a global phenomenon, accelerating the ongoing biodiversity crisis. In the Old World, and particularly in Africa, illegal use of poisons to eliminate carnivores is the main driver of the continental vulture crisis. Knowledge about the underlying source and drivers of this threat is lacking for most areas, including Kenya, a global vulture and biodiversity hotspot. An extensive questionnaire survey of over 1300 respondents was run, using a specialized questioning technique and quantitative analytical approaches. Results show that, while pastoralists have a positive attitude towards vultures, over 20% of them use poisons to eliminate predators. Poisoning was largely driven by livestock losses to predators, and by negative attitude towards predators. Poisoning was less prevalent among respondents aware of the Kenya Wildlife Act. Overall, we suggest that a combination of top-down, e.g. legislation, and bottom-up (such as corrals or compensation) along with awareness campaigns may help reduce poisoning on the ground.
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