More than half of the world’s soils are in poor condition, posing a growing threat to global food production and biodiversity, according to a new United Nations report.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says soils support about 95 per cent of global food production, host 59 per cent of the world’s biodiversity and serve as the planet’s second-largest carbon sink after the oceans.
However, the report found that soil degradation continues to worsen, with erosion identified as the biggest threat.
Other challenges include loss of organic matter, poor nutrient management, declining soil biodiversity, pollution, salt build-up and expanding urban development.
The FAO says soil management is poor or very poor in 52.5 per cent of assessed regions and subregions, while conditions have deteriorated in 58 per cent of areas examined.
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Climate change is also expected to worsen soil degradation, which could further threaten food security and contribute to global warming.
The UN is calling for greater adoption of measures including reduced tillage, cover crops, agroforestry and improved fertiliser management.
It says many solutions are already known, but high costs and limited access to resources continue to prevent farmers from adopting them widely.
