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Africa's Green Revolution

The search for fertile farmland in Africa often leads to deforestation and the creation of more desert lands as farmers abandon nutrient-depleted soils and move deeper into areas once covered by trees.

Now African leaders and international donors are trying to help farmers make the ground they work more fertile on a sustainable basis, to combat famine and reduce deforestation at the same time. But attempts to create a “Green Revolution” in Africa face numerous obstacles. The solution lies in the proper use of fertilizers, which are both expensive and require that farmers be educated in their correct usage.

When used improperly, fertilizers can harm the environment and poison local water supplies. If applied correctly, however, they can help keep the soil rich in the nutrients needed to increase crop yields. Declining crop yields are just one of the reasons Africa has faced devastating famine in recent decades.

Soil depletion from poor fertilization also contributes to desertification, currently a problem in roughly half of Africa. Studies find that 70 percent of the continent’s deforestation problem is caused by farmers.

African leaders and foreign donors are working out a plan to provide more affordable and accessible fertilizers to farmers, along with the education needed to properly apply them.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org