Overall, it seems conventional farming methods are better for the soil than no-till practices. But that’s only if farmers plough the soil without relying on herbicides and other harmful chemicals.

Current evidence suggests these chemicals are damaging, both for the soil and our health. So we need new ways of producing food without chemicals. “No-kill cropping” – which involves sowing seed directly into dry soils without any artificial chemicals – may be one option.

But we urgently need more research to know if such alternative ways of farming will actually improve the health of our soils, communities and agriculture sector.