Global Land Degradation Threatens Food Security, India Faces High Yield Gaps: FAO Report

The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2025 report by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has highlighted a critical global crisis: land degradation. An estimated 1.7 billion people reside in regions where agricultural output is shrinking due to human-induced soil damage. This erosion of productivity threatens food security and harms natural ecosystems.

Eastern and southern Asia, particularly India, bear a heavy burden due to extensive degradation combined with high population density, leading to significant yield gaps. Globally, agriculture expansion remains the main driver of deforestation. While overall agricultural land decreased between 2001 and 2023, cropland expanded, and forests and pastures shrank substantially, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

Annually, about 3.6 million hectares of croplands are abandoned, with degradation playing a key role. However, the report offers hope: restoring just 10% of degraded croplands could feed an additional 154 million people. Restoring abandoned lands could potentially feed hundreds of millions more. The convergence of land degradation, poverty, and food insecurity creates major vulnerability hotspots, especially in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, affecting millions of children.

The report also differentiates the impact based on farm size. Large farms often use advanced technologies that can optimize resources but sometimes worsen degradation. Small farms, which constitute 85% of global farms, face resource constraints and more vulnerable land conditions, yet contribute significantly to local food systems. Large-scale operations heavily influence global commodity markets and have a critical responsibility for sustainable land management.

Impact This news has a significant impact on the Indian stock market by highlighting potential risks to agricultural productivity and food security. This could affect companies in the agri-input sector, food processing, logistics, and consumer staples. It also underscores the importance of sustainable agriculture practices, potentially influencing future government policies and investor sentiment towards companies focusing on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors. Rating: 8/10.

Difficult Terms

Land Degradation: The decline in the quality and productivity of land, often caused by human activities like unsustainable farming, deforestation, and pollution.

Agricultural Output: The total amount of crops and livestock produced by a farm or region in a specific period.

Food Security: The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

Natural Ecosystems: Biological communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms in their physical environment.

Yield Gaps: The difference between the yield of a crop obtained in experimental conditions and the yield obtained in farmers' fields under similar environmental conditions.

Hectares (mha): A unit of area used in agriculture, equal to 10,000 square meters (about 2.47 acres). 'mha' stands for million hectares.

Deforestation: The clearing or thinning of forests by humans.

Croplands: Land used for growing crops.

Permanent Meadows and Pastures: Land used for grazing animals on a long-term basis.

Land Abandonment: When land, especially agricultural land, is no longer used for its previous purpose.

Childhood Stunting: A condition where a child fails to grow to reach their full potential in terms of height, often due to chronic malnutrition.

Resource Use Optimization: Using resources like water, fertilizers, and energy efficiently to maximize output and minimize waste.

Smallholder Farmers: Farmers who cultivate small plots of land, typically for subsistence or small-scale commercial purposes.

Soil Organic Carbon Debt: A measure of the loss of organic matter from the soil, which is crucial for soil health and fertility.

Input Use: Refers to the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural chemicals.

Smallholder-Dominated Regions: Areas where a large proportion of farms are small in size.

Resource Constraints: Limitations in access to essential resources like land, water, capital, and technology.

Dietary Energy: The amount of energy obtained from food, measured in calories.

Agrifood Systems: All the elements and activities related to the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food.