More than a billion people on Earth suffer from declining crop yields due to land degradation

A fifth of the world’s population lives in areas where crop yields are declining due to human-induced land degradation—a silent crisis threatening the health of ecosystems worldwide, according to the State of Food and Agriculture 2025 (SOFA) report.

FAO defines land degradation as the long-term decline in land’s ability to perform essential ecosystem functions. Land degradation rarely has a single cause; it typically results from a combination of factors. These include natural factors such as soil erosion and salinization, as well as increasingly dominant human impacts, according to Logos Press. Activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, and unsustainable farming and irrigation practices are now among the main drivers of soil degradation.

SOFA 2025 identifies hotspots of global vulnerability where these losses intersect with poverty, hunger, and other forms of malnutrition. Specifically, of the 1.7 billion people living in areas where agricultural yields are 10% lower due to human-induced land degradation, approximately 47 million are children under 5 years of age who suffer from stunting. In absolute terms, Asian countries are the hardest hit, both due to soil degradation and high population density.

Nevertheless, there is hope. A 10% reduction in human pressure on agricultural land could restore production sufficient to feed an additional 154 million people annually. These figures are not abstract; they represent real opportunities to strengthen food security, reduce pressure on natural ecosystems, and create more resilient agricultural and food systems.

“To seize these opportunities, we must act decisively.” “Sustainable land management requires creating an enabling environment that fosters long-term investment, innovation, and responsible governance,” wrote FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu in the foreword to the report.

FAO helps slow soil degradation by promoting sustainable land management practices, such as crop rotations and cover crops, to maintain soil health, reduce erosion, and promote biodiversity. In Moldova, with the help of international donors, FAO is supporting the funding of conservation agriculture projects and the active inclusion of drought-tolerant sorghum in crop rotations.