For the Milk Mamas at the heart of The Sarara Foundation’s (TFS) flagship Milk to Market Program, conservation and care for the land are lived responsibilities, not imposed obligations.

With their livelihoods and the wellbeing of their communities deeply connected to the milk they provide to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, they are driven by a commitment to nurture the health of their herds and the landscapes they depend on through far-reaching land restoration efforts that benefit people, livestock, and wildlife.

When I joined #Youth4Soil, I was genuinely excited, especially about the mentorship component. My main expectation was to learn from experienced professionals, particularly women in my career pathway, and to benefit from their insights on how to excel in research and development.

Read more about Clemence Mnyika’s journey with Mentor Shallom Abla Lumor

CIFOR-ICRAF has been conducting a series of trainings on Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in forest and landscape restoration for Community Forest Associations (CFAs) in Makueni County, Kenya as part of the UK PACT project.

To date, the trainings have reached more than 600 individuals, emphasizing the importance of gender equity in achieving sustainable restoration outcomes. Over the past two years of implementation, some common themes have emerged, highlighting that many CFA members feel held back by their current level of skill in agroforestry practices and soil conservation techniques. In response, CIFOR-ICRAF followed up with technical, on-farm training in sustainable agroforestry practices and composting for soil conservation.

This article refers to soil heroes as people, places or things that stand for soil health even when climate change and other threats are rampant; all living and nonliving components that support the soil ecosystem thus bringing it glory and honour in the form of soil health. 

From February 5th to 9th 2025, I and three other Community Facilitators working with CIFOR-ICRAF in Kenya were privileged to attend a Syntropic Agroforestry and Regenerative Regenerative Agriculture course at ForestFoods in Limuru, Kenya. It was an awesome 4-day training course with intensive learning about the topic coupled with lectures and field activities.

Story and photos by Clemence Mnyika, Community Facilitator with CIFOR-ICRAF Kenya and Member of #Youth4Soil

Soil health policies are stars for our soil, without whom our advancement towards global soil health would remain slower than the rate at which we are depleting our soils. The importance of soil health policies can be summarized into three pros: protect, probe and promote. 

Soil health is the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture, and its impact extends far beyond the confines of the farm. As we enter the festive season, it's a fitting time to reflect on the invaluable gifts of soil health. These include policies, advocates, media influence, scientific expertise, and farmer dedication—all crucial in driving progress toward a healthier, more resilient agricultural ecosystem. Let’s celebrate these contributions and recognize their role in safeguarding our future.

The Stars in Our Soil is a 6-part series highlighting the scientific and social elements of the soil that are synonymous to the stars; each of them unique but when they are together, they light up the universe. 

In this article, Sussana Terieza Phiri (#Youth4Soil, YPARD Zambia, CA4SH Intern) explores the physical properties of soil, and some of the implications for agricultural growers.

Women and gender-diverse people around the World are a non-negotiable, indispensable part of food systems and efforts to scale soil health, globally.

For International Women’s Day 2024, we reached out to powerhouse women from across the CA4SH network who are working with NGOs, farmer cooperatives, research, public and private domains, and more, to deliver key messages on why gender inclusion is so important to scaling soil health.

Research shows that soil is connected to all 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, individually and as a holistic solution. To help underscore the importance of these connections, CA4SH has summarized how each of the SDGs links to soil.

“Women play a critical role in the agricultural sector, comprising 43% of the agricultural labor force globally and making significant contributions to household and national food security. Despite their essential role, they face several challenges that limit their ability to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and adapt to climate change, including access to information and finance.”

“Srouy’s hands move deftly amongst the vines, her thumb and forefinger pinching each ripe bean from its stem. By the end of the month, she will have harvested some 60 kilograms of beans for sale to her local farmers’ cooperative. Today, after forty years of farming, Srouy is as much entrepreneur as farmer…”