In this period of rapid change in land use, hunger is still a problem. In order to fight hunger, the promotion of ecological resiliency is needed. This is the main message Dr. Deborah Bossio, holding a PhD in Soil Science from the University of California, USA and working at the International Center for International Agriculture (CIAT), conveyed in today's second plenary speech. Dr. Deborah Bossio At the beginning of her speech, Dr. Bossio speaks to the audience about food issues such as chronicle hunger and yield gaps. She points out that the population density is high in areas of quality crop land, showing maps from the African continent found on the website of the Harvestchoice. She also highlights that soils and land use are central to planetary boundaries (climate change, chemical pollution, phosphorus cycle, nitrogen cycle, etc). Land use changes...some facts!

Encouraging land degradation in pastoralist systems Birgit Müller found that governmental subsidies promote the increase of stocking rate and grazing pressure of natural grassland of the High Plateau of Morocco. This policy creates land degradation and social conflicts. By using a ecological-economic model she assessed an alternative for range management: supplementation should use strategically on periods of scarce forage, but not as a way to increase animal stock. Then, after a year of drought, resting time for the recovering of the grassland should be applied. This strategic use of supplementation could avoid destocking (keep herbs size), and economical constrains for farmers and also keep the productivity and good condition of natural grasslands. Cropping for caring land and avoiding social conflicts Another strategy for the Jordan’s arid Badia region was presented by Steven Woods.