Reported potentials for sequestration of carbon in soils of agricultural lands are overly optimistic because they assume that all degraded cropland and grassland can be subjected to best management practices. Two approaches for estimating this potential are presented.

By 2050, nearly 10 billion people will live on the planet. Can we produce enough food sustainably? The synthesis report of the World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future shows that it is possible – but there is no silver bullet. This report offers a five-course menu of solutions to…

An integrated approach to land and water resource management is essential: this entails reducing demand and increasing use efficiency, protecting and restoring wetlands and watersheds in our working landscapes, providing incentives for sustainable use, and designing more sustainable cities

We depend on living soil and the biodiversity that underpins functioning ecosystems and supports productive land-based natural capital. Threats are increasing which require a committed and sustained response. A mixture of protection, sustainable management and, where necessary, restoration is needed…

Rural communities in drylands are often poorer than elsewhere and the land is more vulnerable to degradation from climate change and direct human pressures. Poor management can lead to desertification. We know how to manage drylands sustainably, but often do not achieve this in practice; policies…

Why Europe should care more about environmental degradation triggering insecurity- Hartmut Behrend in " Global Affairs" Volume 1; Issue 1; 2015

Its preservation is essential for food security and our sustainable future. Today, 33 percent of land is moderately to highly degraded due to the erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification and chemical pollution of soils.

Sustainable management of the natural resources is one of the key issues that the international community will have to address over the next two decades. An overview of where land and soil degradation takes place, at what intensity and how land users are addressing this problem through sustainable…

Repurposing Agricultural Subsidies to Restore Degraded Farmland and Grow Rural Prosperity the new WRI report highlights how countries can shift a portion of their existing agricultural subsidies – around $400 billion each year – to close the finance gap for farmland restoration, boost farmer incomes…

The African Union (AU) Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) has recently launched the Great Green Wall Award in Burkina Faso for the promotion and sustainable management of land. It is intended to reward the work of media professionals. They must submit their productions…

This brief was produced by EcoAgriculture Partners and the FAO Liaison Office for North America following the presentations and discussion at the first in our newest event series for policymakers and conservation and development professionals in Washington, D.C. and beyond, “Towards Sustainable…

Biodiversity for food and agriculture is indispensable to food security and sustainable development. It supplies many vital ecosystem services, such as creating and maintaining healthy soils, pollinating plants, controlling pests and providing habitat for wildlife, including for fish and other…

Integrated Drylands Development Programme (IDDP) is the UNDP's integrated approach to poverty alleviation and sustainable land management in the drylands.

The tension between urban and rural populations in countries around the world is emerging as a 21st century polarizing political force, and its potency may be rooted in rising inequalities. Nowhere is the urban-rural divide more acute than on the issue of jobs. While agriculture has been the…

Sampling and analysis or visual examination of soil to assess its status and use potential is widely practiced from plot to national scales. However, the choice of relevant soil attributes and interpretation of measurements are not straightforward, because of the complexity and site-specificity of…

Most emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) are linked to the use of nitrogen (N) fertiliser in agriculture, highlighting a need for agricultural management practices that reduce emissions while maintaining agronomic productivity. A new study has assessed the long-term impact of conventional tillage (CT —…

In 2015, alone, climate-related disasters displaced 14.7 million people, a new report from CARE Danmark shows. Unless governments take strong preventive action and invest in adaptation, climate change-related phenomena could push the total number of permanently displaced as high as 250 million…

Throughout the past 40 years, the Earth has lost a third of its arable land to erosion and degradation. China’s efforts to fight the problem have seen mixed results. Currently, 27.4 percent of China is desertified land, affecting about 400 million people.

According to the Economic Report on Africa 2017, half of Africa's population will live in urban areas by 2035. The rapid urbanization presents high demands for jobs, services and infrastructure, while creating enormous opportunities for Africa’s economic growth.

This book highlights how climate change has affected migration in the Indian subcontinent. Drawing on field research, it argues that extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, cyclones, cloudbursts as well as sea level rise, desertification and declining crop productivity have shown higher…