The soil that grows the world's food and holds its water is becoming less productive, yet governments are struggling to agree on how to respond to this crisis. As political talks at Cop17, the United Nations conference on desertification and land degradation, stepped up in Mongolia on Tuesday, France's environment ambassador Barbara Pompili warned that disputes involving the United States are threatening progress.
The summit in Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar has entered its second and decisive week, traditionally when ministers and other senior political figures step in to try to resolve issues negotiators have so far been unable to settle.
