What's The Connection Between Soils & Climate Change? - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica explores the critical connection between soils and climate change, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable land and water governance. It references a 2018 warning from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that human pressures—primarily from intensified agriculture practices such as increased chemical inputs, mechanization, monocropping, and grazing—are pushing soils and freshwater systems to their productive limits. These pressures degrade land quality and pollute water resources, creating negative externalities that extend beyond agriculture. The FAO stresses that transformative changes in agriculture require political will, adaptive policies, and investment focused on sustainable land and water management to protect natural resources while supporting livelihoods. The article also discusses the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2025 launch of the $700 million Farmers First Regenerative Agriculture Pilot, aimed at reducing administrative burdens, expanding farmer access, and enhancing soil resilience through public-private partnerships. However, this initiative has faced criticism for lacking clear standards and for potentially serving as a