The smog caused mostly by Indonesian forest and plantation fires in June 2013 has triggered a blame game, which does not help solve any problem let alone cast the spotlight on who is really responsible for the environmental havoc. Mallika Naguran offers some clues based on a RETRAC model to help readers navigate through these hazy issues.
Accelerated Soil Erosion Affects Crop Cultivation and Productivity
Although more than 99% of the world’s food comes from the soil, experts estimate that each year more than 10 million hectares of crop land are degraded or lost as rain and wind sweep away topsoil. An area big enough to feed Europe has been so severely degraded it cannot produce food, UN figures show.
Sago Palm Cultivation Environmental Benefits
If only Filipinos are aware of its multifarious uses, the unexploited sago (scientific name: Metroxylon sagu) has the potential to uplift economic and social conditions in the countryside, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Technologies to enhance the cultivation of the plant can lead to the development of the sago industry.