Richmond Hill, Canada — July 22, 2026 — Land degradation is already reducing agricultural productivity around the world, according to a new study published in Nature Food. Co-authored by Professor Nima Shokri, Executive Co-Director of the United Nations University Hub on Engineering to Face Climate Change, the study provides the first global empirical evidence showing how land degradation contributes to lower crop yields across the world’s croplands.
Healthy soils are essential for food production, ecosystems and rural livelihoods. However, decades of unsustainable land use, soil erosion and environmental degradation have reduced the productivity of farmland in many parts of the world.
Using high-resolution global datasets on soils, land degradation and crop yields, the researchers found that every 10% increase in land degradation is linked to about a 2% increase in crop yield gaps.
At the global scale, the impacts are significant. The study estimates that land degradation is associated with annual losses of approximately 20 million tonnes of crop production, equivalent to around 52 trillion food calories—enough to feed roughly 71 million people—while reducing agricultural revenues by an estimated US$4 billion each year.
“Healthy soils are fundamental to resilient food systems,” said Professor Nima Shokri. “Our study demonstrates that land degradation is already limiting food production at the global scale. Investing in sustainable land management is therefore not only an environmental necessity but also an investment in food security and long-term economic resilience.”
The research also identifies regions where farming systems are especially vulnerable to further land degradation and highlights where investments in sustainable land management could have the greatest impact on food security and economic resilience.
“This study is another solid piece of evidence to remind policy makers that preventing land degradation can deliver tangible environmental, social and economic benefits,” said Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). “It reinforces the need to protect and restore degraded lands as countries work toward achieving ending hunger and poverty, combating desertification and building more resilient food systems in the face of climate pressure.”