FAO Warns Land Degradation Threatens Global Food Security – Mexico Business News

Global Land Degradation and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), “The State of Food and Agriculture 2025,” reveals that human-induced land degradation is severely undermining global efforts to achieve key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The crisis affects approximately 1.7 billion people by reducing crop yields, thereby threatening progress on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 1 (No Poverty), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The report calls for decisive action through sustainable land management to create resilient agri-food systems and advance the 2030 Agenda.

Key Findings on Agricultural Productivity and Human Well-being

Impact on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 1 (No Poverty)

The report establishes a direct link between land degradation and the core targets of SDG 1 and SDG 2. Declining farm productivity is a primary driver of food insecurity and rural poverty.

• Approximately 1.7 billion people reside in areas where crop yields have fallen by at least 10% due to human-induced land degradation.
• This widespread decline in agricultural productivity directly compromises food security and perpetuates cycles of rural poverty.
• In absolute terms, Asian countries are the most affected due to high population density and significant accumulated degradation debt.

Consequences for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

The nutritional and health impacts of land degradation are significant, particularly for vulnerable populations. The report highlights a critical challenge to SDG 3:

• Among the affected populations, an estimated 47 million children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth, a direct consequence of malnutrition linked to food insecurity.

The Nexus of Land Degradation and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

Defining Human-Induced Degradation

The report’s analysis focuses on the degradation caused by human activity, which directly contravenes the objectives of SDG 15 to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. Land degradation is defined as a long-term decline in the land’s capacity to provide essential ecosystem services, stemming from a combination of factors.

• Human Pressures: Deforestation, overgrazing, and unsustainable farming and irrigation practices are identified as primary drivers.
• Natural Processes: These human activities often exacerbate natural processes such as soil erosion and salinization.

Measurement and Analysis

To quantify the impact, the FAO utilized a “degradation debt” approach, comparing current land conditions against a baseline state without human interference. This methodology provides a clear assessment of the damage to terrestrial ecosystems.

1. Key Indicators: The analysis measured three critical indicators of land health: soil organic carbon, soil erosion, and soil moisture.
2. Modeling: A machine learning model integrated environmental and socioeconomic data to estimate reference land conditions in a natural state, thereby isolating the impact of human activity.

Pathways to Recovery: Aligning Land Management with the 2030 Agenda

Potential for Reversing Degradation and Advancing SDG 2

The report underscores that targeted interventions in sustainable land management can yield substantial benefits for food security and ecosystem health. Reversing degradation presents a tangible opportunity to make significant progress toward achieving Zero Hunger.

• Restoring just 10% of human-induced degradation on existing croplands through practices like crop rotation and cover cropping could increase food production sufficiently to feed an additional 154 million people annually.
• Such actions would simultaneously strengthen food security, reduce pressure on natural ecosystems, and support the development of more resilient agri-food systems.

Policy Recommendations for Sustainable Land Stewardship

Achieving these recovery goals requires integrated strategies and targeted policy interventions that support SDG 15 and other related goals. The FAO recommends a multi-faceted approach:

1. Implement integrated land-use strategies that balance agricultural needs with environmental protection.
2. Enact regulatory measures to control deforestation and promote sustainable practices.
3. Establish incentive-based programs and conditional mechanisms that link agricultural subsidies to positive environmental outcomes.
4. Tailor policy responses to the specific structure of agricultural holdings, addressing the unique financial and technical constraints of smallholders while leveraging the capacity of large-scale farms for implementation.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article directly connects land degradation to declining agricultural productivity, which in turn leads to food insecurity and malnutrition. It states that the crisis is “undermining agricultural productivity” and “threatening ecosystems worldwide,” and that it intersects with “hunger, and malnutrition.” The mention of “47 million children under five suffering from stunted growth” in affected areas further solidifies this connection.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This is the central theme of the article. The entire discussion revolves around “land degradation caused by human activity.” The article defines land degradation, identifies its causes (deforestation, overgrazing, unsustainable farming), and discusses its impact on ecosystems. It calls for actions like “sustainable land management” and regulatory measures to “control deforestation,” which are core components of SDG 15.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article explicitly links the environmental issue of land degradation to socioeconomic consequences, stating that it is a “major driver of… rural poverty.” It highlights that the analysis examines how “yield losses intersect with poverty,” indicating that the decline in farm productivity directly impacts the livelihoods and economic well-being of rural populations.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The article addresses this by highlighting that 1.7 billion people live in areas with declining crop yields, which threatens food security and leads to malnutrition, such as stunting in children.
   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers… The article discusses “declining farm productivity” and notes that policy responses must consider the constraints faced by “smallholders” versus large farms.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems… The article advocates for “sustainable land management practices, such as crop rotation and cover cropping” to reverse degradation and restore production.

2. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. This target is the core focus of the article, which is based on a report analyzing “human-induced land degradation” and its effects. The article discusses reversing degradation to restore land capacity.
   • Target 15.2: By 2030, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. The article identifies “deforestation” as a human pressure causing land degradation and calls for “regulatory measures to control deforestation.”

3. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The article connects land degradation and declining farm productivity directly to “rural poverty,” implying that addressing this environmental issue is crucial for poverty reduction in affected agricultural communities.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions and implies several indicators:

• Indicators for SDG 15 (Target 15.3)

  The article explicitly mentions the indicators used by the FAO to measure land degradation. This directly relates to Indicator 15.3.1 (Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area). The specific metrics mentioned are:

  1. Soil organic carbon
  2. Soil erosion
  3. Soil moisture

  The FAO’s “degradation debt approach” uses these three key indicators to compare current conditions with a natural baseline.

• Indicators for SDG 2 (Targets 2.1, 2.3, 2.4)

  The article implies or directly states several indicators:

  1. Prevalence of stunting: The article states, “Among them are 47 million children under five suffering from stunted growth.” This is a direct reference to Indicator 2.2.1 (Prevalence of stunting… among children under 5 years of age), which is a key measure of malnutrition and food insecurity.
  2. Crop Yields / Agricultural Productivity: The article is centered on the finding that “crop yields have dropped by at least 10% because of human-induced land degradation.” This directly measures agricultural productivity, which is central to Indicator 2.3.1 (Volume of production per labour unit…) and Indicator 2.4.1 (Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture).

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: mexicobusiness.news