The self-reinforcing feedback between low soil fertility and chronic poverty

Farmer perceptions of plant–soil interactions can affect adoption of sustainable management practices in cocoa agroforests: a case study from Southeast Sulawesi

“…Smallholder farmers generally rely on annual yields to sustain their livelihoods and frequently do not have access to economic or social safety nets (Barrett and Bevis 2015). Researchers and practitioners have stressed the links among rural poverty, food insecurity, and soil degradation for several decades (Sanchez et al 1997, Tilman et al 2002, Barrett and Bevis 2015. Nevertheless, soil degradation and the related decline in food production remain central issues in vulnerable agrarian regions and are exacerbated by poor management practices, population growth (Vanlauwe et al 2015), and climate change (Mbow et al 2014).…”

“…Smallholder farmers generally rely on annual yields to sustain their livelihoods and frequently do not have access to economic or social safety nets (Barrett and Bevis 2015). Researchers and practitioners have stressed the links among rural poverty, food insecurity, and soil degradation for several decades (Sanchez et al 1997, Tilman et al 2002, Barrett and Bevis 2015.…”

Biochar research activities and their relation to development and environmental quality. A meta-analysis

“…Therefore, a small number of studies were published, but they revealed that low developed countries focused on assessing potential use of biochar to improve agronomic production as reflected by large proportion of studies related to the research topics chemistry & fertility and plant performance. This interest probably relates to findings reporting that biochar can increase biomass and crop yields especially on low fertility soils in the tropics, which are common in developing tropical countries (Crane-Droesch et al 2013;Glaser et al 2002;Liu et al 2013;Barrett and Bevis 2015;Cornelissen et al 2013;Obia et al 2016). Therefore, developing countries in the tropics suffering from hunger and poverty supported biochar research with the aim to increase agronomic productivity (Barrett and Bevis 2015;Folberth et al 2016;Mueller et al 2012), which clearly links to the zero hunger and reducing poverty Sustainable Development Goals (UN 2015).…”

“…Biochar research activities are concentrated in very highly developed countries, with little effort in poor tropical countries. However, those countries in which poor soils are abundant may benefit substantially from agricultural innovations that include biochar (Crane-Droesch et al 2013;Barrett and Bevis 2015;FAO 2013a). Further, the lack of research being done in poor tropical countries may result in researchers missing local and indigenous innovations that could enhance biochar efficacy where it is most needed (van Vliet et al 2012;Nigh and Diemont 2013;Miltner and Coomes 2015).…”

“…Highly weathered soils are typical for humid (e.g. tropical) zones where low agricultural productivity needs to be improved to reduce poverty (Barrett and Bevis 2015;Folberth et al 2016;Lal 2006). Thus, it is essential to transfer/translate knowledge about the use of biochar as soil amendment to scientists, politicians and end-users in poor tropical countries, where improved soil management strategies in combination with new crop varieties (e.g., droughttolerant ones) can likely maximize beneficial effects on crop yield and climate, fostering further implementation of climatesmart agricultural practices.…”