Soil erosion is on the rise in Argentina, now affecting 105 million hectares (259 million acres), or 37.5% of the country’s land. That’s the central finding of an ambitious two-year study conducted in all 23 Argentine provinces by 150 experts from academic, government and private institutions. The study was coordinated jointly by the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA), a unit of the Argentine Agriculture Ministry, and the private, nonprofit Center for Promotion of Soil and Water Conservation (Prosa). It concludes that Argentina’s intensive monocrop farming model is accelerating soil degradation. Moreover, the study says, this process is threatening natural resources and biodiversity, especially as forests are felled to accommodate expanded production. “Soil conservation must be incorporated as a national agenda issue,” says Roberto Casas... [Log in to read more]