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Science 21 November 2003:
Vol. 302. no. 5649, pp. 1356 - 1359
DOI: 10.1126/science.1088579

State of the Planet

Web Resources on
Soils and Food Security

To accompany
Tropical Soils and Food Security: The Next 50 Years
M. A. Stocking
Science 302, 1356-1359 (2003)
[Abstract] [Full text]
(from the State of the Planet series)

Web Sites of Interest
Previously in Science

Web Sites of Interest on Soils and Food Security

Selected U.N. FAO Sites

Special Programme for Food Security: A program of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that helps developing countries achieve food security through improved nutrition and agricultural development.

FAO Land and Water Development Division: Rich gateway to myriad resources on soil biodiversity and fertility, country-specific soil data, and more. Includes a soil biodiversity portal with a wealth of basic information.

Terrastat: A database of country statistics on soil, terrain, climatic and agricultural land use limitations, from the FAO's Land and Water Development Division.

Agriculture 21: Magazine and Guide: Exhaustive archive of news and information on agriculture, biotechnology, natural resource management, and food safety and security, made available by the FAO.

World Food Summit: Five Years Later: Report from an international alliance devoted to reducing world hunger.

Other Online Resources

U.N. World Food Programme: Web site of "the world's largest humanitarian agency."

Soil Quality Institute: A program of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and a comprehensive source of information on soil quality research, soil use and management, and soil education.

International Food Policy Research Institute: Collects, analyzes and distributes data on economic growth and poverty alleviation in developing countries, and the management of the natural resources that support agriculture. Site's 2020 Vision section includes a variety of worthwhile downloadable publications, including Reaching Sustainable Food Security for All by 2020.

AAAS Atlas of Population and Environment: Free online version of comprehensive reference on geographic relationships between population and environment; includes sections on foodcrops and land use.

Development Gateway: Food Security: Interactive site for information on sustainable development and poverty reduction that includes links to news, conferences, and current research.

Livelihoods Connect: A learning platform for creating sustainable livelihoods to eliminate poverty, complete with information resources, case studies, and project summaries. Made available by the U.K. Department For International Development (DFID).

International Soil Reference and Information Centre: Netherlands-based foundation for documentation, research, and training about world soil resources, with an emphasis on developing countries. Headquarters of the World Data Center for Soils

Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute: A division of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), a nonprofit research organization that aims to reduce hunger and poverty and improve natural resources in developing countries.

Soil Science Society of America: Dedicated to the advancement of soil science as it relates to crop production, environmental quality, and ecosystem sustainability.

Food Security and Safety: The May 2002 issue of Economic Perspectives (an electronic journal of the U.S. State Department) discussed a range of topics relating to food security, with an emphasis on U.S. policy.

Food Security Network: Links to recent global food security and agriculture news, organized by region.

Worldwide Portal to Information on Soil Health: Extensive database of annotated English- and Spanish-language Web resources related to soil health and management.

Selected Previous Science Articles on Soils and Food Security

Science for African Food Security: Gordon Conway and Gary Toenniessen
Science 299, 1187-1188 (2003)
[Summary] [Full text]

Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming: Paul Maeder et al.
Science 296, 1694-1697 (2002)
[Abstract] [Full text]

World Poverty and Hunger -- The Challenge for Science: Ismail Serageldin
Science 296, 54-58 (2002)
[Summary] [Full text]

Soil Fertility and Hunger in Africa: Pedro A. Sanchez
Science 295, 2019-2020 (2002)
[Summary] [Full text]

Forecasting Agriculturally Driven Global Environmental Change: David Tilman
Science 292, 281-284 (2001)
[Abstract] [Full text]

U.S. Soil Erosion Rates--Myth and Reality: Stanley W. Trimble and Pierre Crosson
Science 289, 248-250 (2000)
[Summary] [Full text]

The U.S. Carbon Budget: Contributions from Land-Use Change: R. A. Houghton, J. L. Hackler, and K. T. Lawrence
Science 285, 574-578 (1999)
[Abstract] [Full text]

Biotechnology and Food Security in the 21st Century: Ismail Serageldin
Science 285, 387-389 (1999)
[Abstract] [Full text]

Food Production, Population Growth, and the Environment: Gretchen Daily et al.
Science 281, 1291-1292 (1998)
[Summary] [Full text]

Integration of Environmental, Agronomic, and Economic Aspects of Fertilizer Management: Pamela A. Matson, Rosamond Naylor, and Ivan Ortiz-Monasterio
Science 280, 112-115 (1998)
[Abstract] [Full text]

Long-Term Agroecosystem Experiments: Assessing Agricultural Sustainability and Global Change: Paul E. Rasmussen et al.
Science 280, 893-896 (1998)
[Abstract] [Full text]

Agricultural Intensification and Ecosystem Properties: P. A. Matson, W. J. Parton, A. G. Power, and M. J. Swift
Science 277, 504-509 (1997)
[Abstract] [Full text]

From the JSTOR Archive

Environmental and Economic Costs of Soil Erosion and Conservation Benefits: David Pimentel et al.
Science 267, 1117-1123 (1995)
[PDF] (1.7 MB)

Managing the Soils of Sub-Saharan Africa: Rattan Lal
Science 236, 1069-1076 (1987)
[PDF] (2.4 MB)

World Population Growth, Soil Erosion, and Food Security: Lester R. Brown
Science 214, 995-1002 (1981)
[PDF] (1.9 MB)

Note: The high-quality PDF files above, which we are making available to all users, are from the Science Magazine archive developed by JSTOR. Individual members of AAAS receive, as a member benefit, free access to the entire JSTOR Science Magazine collection. Coupled with the offerings of Science Online, that means access to every issue of Science ever published -- from the 1880 debut issue, all the way to this week's edition. For information, visit our AAASMember.org membership portal.