The Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands and atolls, has limited land resources. The island’s soils have very low organic matter content, low water retention capacity and high salinity, and are generally infertile. This affects the livelihood of farmers and the food security of local communities. With IAEA support involving nuclear techniques, farmers are now learning more about sustainable soil and water management to improve their crop yields and secure their livelihoods.

“The effect of IAEA assistance was almost immediate,” said Jean-Paul Geffroy, owner of Geffroy’s Farm. “It helped me better understand the content of my soil, what to do next, what I was doing wrong, and what I could do better.”

The IAEA-supported technical cooperation project aims to assess soil degradation using radionuclides and stable isotopes to quantify soil erosion and to develop effective soil conservation measures.