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African Soil Mapped For the Very First Time
vikingpower writes "A team of international experts has drawn up the Soil Atlas of Africa — the first such book mapping this key natural resource — to help farmers, land managers and policymakers understand the diversity and importance of soil and the need to manage it through sustainable use. A joint commission of the African Union and the European Union has produced a complete atlas of African soils, downloadable as three hefty PDFs (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3). The initiative was announced four years ago, and is intended 'to help farmers, land managers and policymakers understand the diversity and importance of soil and the need to manage it through sustainable use.' A digital, interactive series of maps is (still) in the making."
That will fasten the pace in which virgin forest disappears and be replaced by farmland / mining activities
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
After reading the summary, I wonder if this could help farmers, land managers and policymakers understand the diversity and importance of soil and the need to manage it through sustainable use
I hate it when a summary repeats itself. I hate it when a summary repeats itself.
But will this help me identify which bits of Africa to dig up so I can make TVs and mobile phones for the 1st world? Can't see the point really.
There are some rumors about US delegation interested only in mapping oil fields.
I love virgin forests, it gives me wood
no comment
It disturbs me a bit to see EU associated to something actually useful to mankind. Usually it only cares about the market. I must have missed a point.
All the soil in Africa is made up of diamonds and zebra crap. Mostly diamonds.
The only reason You would map someone else's soil is to decide if it's worth invading them to take it away.
Obviousely it's for oil extraction and for extracting more diamonds with black slaves IE blood diamonds. It's not for food no matter how much someone says it is.
sorry
This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.
Can't those sub-70 IQ Africans even map their OWN soil?
Of course, they get 'whitey' to do it for them. What a pathetic bunch of parasites they are.
You American!
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
African soil produces amazing amounts of high quality produce when it's cultivated by white farmers, but once it's taken over by blacks who sit around and stare at the slowly rusting farm equipment all day it stubbonly refuses to produce anything.
This then leads to the countries sitting on it to go from efficient food producers and vibrant economies to third world crapholes full of starving blacks in less than a generation.
African soil is racist!!
Knowledge is power, power can liberate or oppress, but this knowledge is in the open, meaning nobody has distinct power advantage because of access to this knowledge alone. Besides, this isn't local knowledge, it covers the entire continent. The map is unlikely to be used directly by local farmers living hand to mouth on the family plot. Rather it will be used by governments and NGO's to make better use of infrastructure funds for irrigation channels, grain silo's, etc. Yes it will also be used by corporations, but what those corporations do with it is ultimately at the mercy of the people. You can like or loath agribusiness, but if they disappeared tomorrow 3-4 billion people would starve to death in the following 6-12 months.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
This is not a new idea. Many countries in Africa have a long history of soil classification. The french colonists, for example, produced detailed maps that even displayed individual trees! For many years, crop dusters in West Africa also used these for precise navigation.
These maps were not simply topological. For example, the Fruit Research Institute in Kindia, Guinea (i'IRF) did extensive soil analysis that was often incorporated into these maps. In West Africa much of the impetus for this work was tied to its utility in both agriculture and mining.
In North Africa much of the analytical work was done to promote soil reclamation, Salinity measurements and hardpan classification were among some of the many tests conducted at the Medjerta Valley Reclamation Office (OMVVM) in Tunisia.
What would be new and exciting is collecting this information in a digital format that can be easily disseminated, updated and used for teaching and collaboration. Africa has enormous potential, but unless Africans see themselves as a part of a very large community, progress will be slow a best.