Articles | Volume 3, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-45-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-45-2017
Review article
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01 Mar 2017
Review article | Highlight paper |  | 01 Mar 2017

Soil conservation in the 21st century: why we need smart agricultural intensification

Gerard Govers, Roel Merckx, Bas van Wesemael, and Kristof Van Oost

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Cited articles

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Short summary
We discuss pathways towards better soil protection in the 21st century. The efficacy of soil conservation technology is not a fundamental barrier for a more sustainable soil management. However, soil conservation is generally not directly beneficial to the farmer. We believe that the solution of this conundrum is a rapid, smart intensification of agriculture in the Global South. This will reduce the financial burden and will, at the same time, allow more effective conservation.