The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has warned that worsening soil degradation could put global food production at serious risk.
FAO said the threat is growing despite the availability of proven methods for protecting and restoring damaged soils.
The warning was contained in the organisation’s Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026 report. The report was launched during the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar.
According to FAO, the report draws on research conducted between 2015 and 2025. It also incorporates expertise from 75 countries.
The assessment found that sustainable soil management remains poorly adopted across many regions.
More than half of the regional assessments recorded low or very low adoption of sustainable practices.
FAO said 58 per cent of assessments reported worsening soil conditions since 2015. Only about 10 per cent recorded improvements during the period.
FAO Deputy Director-General, Beth Bechdol, said existing solutions were not being implemented quickly enough.
She stressed the need to provide countries and farmers with better knowledge, capacity and incentives.
Bechdol noted that soils are central to global food security. More than 95 per cent of the food consumed worldwide depends on them.
She added that healthy soils also help store and filter water. They regulate the climate, support biodiversity and sustain livelihoods.
The pressure on soil resources has also increased with population growth.
FAO said the global population has grown by about 800 million since 2015. During the same period, the harvested area for major crops increased by 80 million hectares.
The agency identified several factors contributing to soil degradation. These include urbanisation, unsustainable farming practices, industrial activities, conflicts and pollution.
Soil erosion was identified as the most serious and interconnected threat to soil health.
Across the seven regions assessed, 81 per cent of assessments rated erosion management as poor or very poor.
Another 65 per cent reported that erosion conditions had deteriorated since 2015.
FAO said several established agricultural practices could help reverse the trend. These include reduced tillage, integrated nutrient management and crop diversification.
Cover crops, organic amendments and agroforestry were also highlighted as useful approaches.
However, FAO said the major challenge remains expanding these practices quickly enough.
The organisation called for healthy soils to be treated as strategic assets. It also urged governments and land users to turn existing knowledge into practical action.
FAO recommended moving beyond isolated restoration projects toward integrated management of productive landscapes.
It said priority should be given to preventing degradation where possible. Existing pressures should also be reduced, while already damaged soils should be restored.
