Millions of smallholder farmers around the world, however, are facing a serious soil fertility crisis, and many of these families also suffer from food insecurity. Soil infertility and erosion losses in many regions of the world are standing in the way of increased food production and improved livelihoods for many smallholder farmers. Maintaining, and in many cases recovering soil fertility, has become a major challenge facing agricultural professionals and farmers. Green manure/cover crops are proving to be an effective, locally appropriate, and low external- input solution to this crisis. This strategy for improving the livelihoods of some of the world’s most food-insecure people needs to be shared with agriculture development workers and smallholder farmers around the world.
