Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : EXPLORING METHODOLOGIES FOR ASSESSING THE OUTCOME OF SOIL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN UNILEVER’S SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CODE

Auteur : Day Mark

Université de soutenance : Stellenbosch University

Grade : Master of Philosophy in Sustainable Development 2020

Résumé
Agricultural soils are under immense pressure from modern farming practices, leading to unsustainable rates of degradation. Unchecked soil erosion and compaction reduce agricultural yields, while a loss of soil organic matter leads to a reduction in the soil’s capacity to sequester carbon, a key strategy to mitigate climate change. In recent decades, Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) have been established to manage the health of soils and a range of other environmental and social impacts, providing safeguards that prohibit detrimental activities while promoting good agricultural practices. However, the effectiveness of these standards in meeting their objectives has been questioned, as the outcomes of prescribed practices usually go unmeasured. Unilever’s Sustainable Agriculture Code is a company-own VSS implemented globally with suppliers of a range of vegetables, fruits and cereals and other crops. Although this code contains measures to quantify some environmental impacts, there is no methodology to assess the outcomes of management practices for soil health. This thesis explores available methodologies to measure the outcomes of soil management practices, relating to soil compaction, erosion and soil organic carbon, with a particular focus on China and the United States. Barriers to adoption of methodologies by supply chain actors, as well as a system by which to capture and administer progress were also investigated. A systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, as well as semi-structured interviews were methods used to explore these questions. It was determined that traditional in-field sampling and laboratory analysis methods were deemed unsuitable, except for the measurement of soil compaction. Instead, the Fieldprint Calculator’s soil conservation and soil carbon tools are suitable models to estimate soil loss and soil organic matter for farmers in the United States.

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