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Global Southern Soils

Gaining a better understanding of carbon storage in soils in the ‘Global South’

Soils are a major carbon sink and can help to mitigate climate change. However, in the ‘Global South’, there is still a lack of knowledge about how agricultural practices influence carbon storage in soils.

Actu Sud Global

This study, carried out as part of the ALAMOD project and the ANR Tremplin MOBIDYC programme, analysed 155 studies based on field trials lasting at least five years and involving repeated measurements of soil organic carbon, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of how it changes in the soils of these regions.

The results show that certain practices, such as the use of organic fertilisers or reduced tillage, generally promote carbon sequestration. However, most studies have been carried out in India and Brazil, on intensive farming systems, whilst many other contexts remain largely unexplored.

Traditional farming systems, such as agroforestry, mixed cropping and slash-and-burn agriculture, as well as forests and savannahs, are largely absent from research. Furthermore, arid regions are also under-represented.

The study therefore emphasises the need to carry out further experiments in a wider variety of regions and agricultural systems. Better representing the diversity of practices will enable the production of more reliable carbon dynamics models and improve carbon sequestration strategies tailored to local conditions.

In summary, this study shows that our current understanding is based on a limited number of contexts and that it is essential to broaden research in order to better understand the role of soils in combating climate change on a global scale.

Link to the scientific article: here 

Modification date: 09 July 2026 | Publication date: 30 June 2026 | By: FairCarboN