المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

Below ground biodiversity is very important for maintaining the resilience of soil ecosystem for sustainable agricultural production. Besides this, soil flora and fauna play a vital role in sustaining the above ground biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems in general. Despite these, many modern agricultural development interventions pay little attention to these subterranean resources.

The well-being of the soil biodiversity is always being ignored in most agricultural development interventions which emphasise on intensification, large scale monoculture and some time in unstable (erosion prone) landscapes. This leads to decline in soil biodiversity which in turn disrupts agro-ecosystem by reducing plant diversity, organic matter decomposition, nutrient retention and cycling. Many soils become ‘’lifeless’’ and can only support crop production through application of fertilizers.  

Many agricultural systems have adopted intensive use of inorganic fertilizers and soil conditioners to compensate for the reduced soil regeneration capacity. However, these inputs further change soil physical and chemical environments, complicating the matters by irreversibly impacting negatively on the soil organisms. This makes farmers increasingly rely on inorganic fertilizers which is not sustainable in the long run in terms of production cost and environment. However, many farmers in Africa can ill afford the inputs leading to steady decline in productivity and production levels in regions.

It is therefore important that agricultural development interventions deploy appropriate strategies to safeguard the below ground biodiversity to ensure soil resilience and sustainable agro-ecosystem.