Land Erosion Endangers Food Production and Biodiversity

Land degradation due to poor farming and grazing practices may threaten the food supply of 1.5 billion people in the developing world who depend directly on the land for survival, a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation report says. The study is based on 20 years of data and indicates that degraded lands — which now make up 20 percent of cultivated areas, 30 percent of forests, and 10 percent of grasslands — may place roughly one quarter of the world’s population at risk of malnutrition or starvation. The report was released at a time when poor harvests, rising global demand for agricultural commodities, and soaring fuel prices have led to shortages of grains and other staples in parts of the developing world. The FAO report also noted that the disturbance of soils and land releases additional carbon into the atmosphere and threatens biodiversity.