Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) are dark coloured, highly fertile soils –they are a unique product of ingenious soil management by ancient indigenous people. Most of the ADE-soils were created 500 -2500 years ago. The Terra Preta Soil Management as practiced in the Amazon Basin builds on a diverse and complex integration of organic soil amendments to maximize revenues and food quality, whilst minimizing resource degradation. The key elements of the system are addition of pyrogenic carbon, organic phosphorus and calcium that lead to the formation of Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE). Crop yields on ADE are several times higher than on adjacent soils and remain high for many years in a region that normally does not support more than one cropping cycle without massive fertilizer inputs. This resilience creates a remarkable livelihood security.

The knowledge systems and culture linked to the Terra Preta management are unique but have unfortunately been lost. ADE are, however, still an important, yet threatened, resource, as well as an agricultural heritage that needs better scientific understanding.