Soil Degradation: UN Warns of Growing Threat to Global Food Security

07:59

Soil degradation is emerging as one of the major environmental challenges of the coming decades. In its new report on the state of global soil resources, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sounds the alarm: the deterioration of land is accelerating, even as soils form the foundation of the vast majority of global food production.

Presented Thursday in Ulaanbaatar during the Convention to Combat Desertification, this report highlights the extent of the pressures exerted on land. However, experts emphasize that solutions exist and that scientific knowledge today allows for the possibility of reversing the trend, provided that their implementation is accelerated.

Increasing Food and Demographic Pressure

Soils play a central role in global agricultural production. Approximately 95% of the food produced worldwide depends directly on their ability to remain fertile and productive.

Since the first edition of the report was published in 2015, the global population has continued to grow, with about 800 million more people to feed. At the same time, new land has been mobilized for agriculture over an area equivalent to that of France and Germany combined.

This expansion of agricultural land, combined with the intensification of certain production practices, increases the pressure on soil resources and undermines their ability to sustainably fulfill their ecological and productive functions.

Erosion: The Main Identified Threat

Among the various factors of degradation, erosion appears to be the most concerning risk. The report highlights that, in a large majority of the situations analyzed, this phenomenon remains insufficiently controlled.

Erosion gradually leads to the loss of the top layers of soil, which are essential for agricultural fertility. Its consequences go beyond just food production, also increasing vulnerability to droughts and floods.

Scientists also note that the situation has deteriorated in a significant portion of the studied areas, confirming an acceleration of the phenomenon on a global scale.

Known Solutions, Yet Still Too Few Implemented

However, the assessment made by experts is not solely pessimistic. The FAO emphasizes that several sustainable management methods have already demonstrated their effectiveness.

Reducing intensive soil work, diversifying crops, and balanced use of organic and mineral fertilizers are among the practices that can help preserve fertility and enhance the resilience of agricultural lands.

The main obstacle now lies in the speed of their adoption. Since 2015, improvements in practices have only been observed in a limited proportion of the cases examined, despite the existence of proven solutions.

For experts, the challenge is therefore less about identifying new responses than about accelerating the dissemination and adaptation of already available practices.

Responses Must Be Adapted to Local Realities

Soil restoration cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all method. Threats vary by region, climate conditions, and human activities.

Arid areas and coastal regions are particularly facing increased risks of salinization, while agricultural spaces near urban areas may suffer more from various forms of pollution.

To these challenges are added the effects of deforestation, certain unsustainable agricultural practices, and natural phenomena. Land degradation thus results from a combination of pressures whose intensity varies significantly from one territory to another.

This reality necessitates the development of policies tailored to local characteristics, combining support for farmers, incentive measures, and the dissemination of more ecosystem-friendly practices.

A Direct Challenge for Billions of People

Land degradation is no longer just an environmental issue. It also represents a major risk for food security and rural economies.

According to data cited by the FAO, declining yields related to land deterioration already affect approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide, with particularly significant exposure in South and East Asia.

In the face of increasing global food needs, soil preservation thus appears as a strategic challenge. UN experts estimate that a change in trajectory remains possible thanks to adapted public policies and broader mobilization of agricultural stakeholders.

The message of the report is clear: scientific and technical tools exist, but their deployment must now gain in scale and speed. The ability of future generations to produce enough food will largely depend on the decisions made today to restore and protect soils.