Land degradation is one of the most pressing environmental challenges due to its effect on the people and ecosystem. Early detection of land degradation could help to avoid further deterioration and work on reversing the trend. This would require an integrated approach combining indicators such as vegetation condition, soil health (i.e., soil salinity), and soil exposure (i.e., albedo) to characterize land degradation comprehensively.

Abstract Plant-based animal product alternatives are increasingly promoted to achieve more sustainable diets. Here, we use a global economic land use model to assess the food system-wide impacts of a global dietary shift towards these alternatives. We find a substantial reduction in the global environmental impacts by 2050 if globally 50% of the main animal products (pork, chicken, beef and milk) are substituted—net reduction of forest and natural land is almost fully halted and agriculture and land use GHG emissions decline by 31% in 2050 compared to 2020.

Biofortified beans are being promoted in Burundi to solve malnutrition issues among rural households. The study was conducted in Muyinga and Gasorwe communes, where biofortified bean varieties were disseminated. This study aims to understand gender roles and practices in households and farms and how these roles and practices influence participation and uptake of biofortified beans. Lastly, it looks at the role of extension in increasing the uptake of agricultural technologies like biofortified bean varieties.

The impacts of climate change in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), are already well known to farmers. Over 2 million people in Kenya face threat of food insecurity due to climate change. Maize production is particularly vulnerable to climate change. It is projected to face not only 15% climate-related declines in yield without adaptation but also challenges from diminished cropland suitability and poor agronomic inputs and management; degraded environmental bases with declining soil fertility and degraded water systems are already apparent.

Abstract Flooded savannas are valuable and extensive ecosystems in South America, but not widely studied. In this study, we quantify the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) content and stocks in the Casanare flooded savannas. We sampled 80 sites at two soil-depth intervals (0-10 and 10-30 cm), where SOC values ranged from 0.41% in the surface and 0.23% in the sub-surface of drier soils to over 14.50% and 7.51%, in soils that experienced seasonal flooding.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, questions arose as to whether the pandemic would amplify or pacify tropical deforestation. Early reports warned of increased deforestation rates; however, these studies were limited to a few months in 2020 or to selected regions.

The influence of climate and weather-based advisories in planning and managing agricultural systems under highly variable conditions was evaluated to understand the potential benefits and challenges associated with the use of probabilistic climate and weather information.

This comprehensive review explores the historical and cultural significance of fire management in Sub-Sahara Africa's rangelands, emphasizing its integral role in socio-cultural practices and livelihoods. While traditional fire use aligns with herders' knowledge for optimal pasture management, recent limitations arise from government policies, erratic rainfall, and population pressures. The ecological effects of fire on rangelands showcase its potential for ecological renewal, influencing species diversity, biomass, and soil properties.

Using ‘higher-tier’ emission factors in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories is essential to improve quality and accuracy when reporting carbon emissions and removals. Here we systematically reviewed 736 data across 249 sites (published 2003–2020) to derive emission factors associated with land-use change in Indonesian mangroves blue carbon ecosystems. Four management regimes—aquaculture, degraded mangrove, regenerated mangrove and undisturbed mangrove—gave mean total ecosystem carbon stocks of 579, 717, 890, and 1061 Mg C ha−1 respectively.

A new policy brief from leading experts at the Centre for International Forestry Research-World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and IPB University, as a part of the Center for Global Sustainability’s (CGS) Indonesia Program new guest policy brief series, provides an overview of the crucial interconnection between bioenergy and land use, focusing specifically on the production and employment of biomass for bioenergy and biomaterial. This guest analysis evaluates four case studies to understand sustainable biomass management methodologies.

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) originated in Central America or north-western South America from where it was introduced to Europe, Africa, Asia and North America in more recent times. Sweetpotato is now cultivated in nearly all parts of the tropics and sub-tropics as well as in the warmer parts of the temperate regions (CIP, 2019). This is because Sweetpotato is a dry-land crop, tolerant to a wide range of edaphic and climatic conditions. It is more tolerant of cold than other tropical root and tuber crops, hence, it can be grown at altitudes as high as 2500 m.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is able to grow and complete its life cycle while being rooted in highly saline soils. Which of the many well-known salt-tolerance strategies are combined to fine-tune this remarkable resilience is unknown. The precise location, whether in the shoot or the root, where these strategies are employed remains uncertain, leaving us unaware of how the various known salt-tolerance mechanisms are integrated to fine-tune this remarkable resilience.