What are the principal causes of soil degradation?
MC: In the first place, there are natural phenomena linked to climate variation, such as drought. And then there is the human component: unsustainable management of land, frequency of planting without ensuring natural rotation of crops, and the use of soils that aren’t suitable for certain crops. TIERRAMRICA: And the consequences are just environmental? MC: No. Erosion means less abundant harvests. It also means displacement of human populations. The entire social fabric of an area is compromised when soils are depleted. TIERRAMRICA: Can desertification be reversed? MC: It costs a great deal. The priority should be to protect the soils. Because when land is desertified it costs 10 times more to recover it. TIERRAMRICA: Could you mention a concrete case in which rehabilitation of degraded soil has been successful? MC: In Argentina there is a case in the (northern) province of Santiago del Estero: Colonia El Simbolar. Thanks to donor countries we identified sites on the three continents
