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.”
Report Information
Madani K. (2026) Global Water Bankruptcy: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, doi: 10.53328/INR26KAM001
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ABOUT UNU-INWEH
Marking its 30th anniversary of operation in 2026, the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) is one of 13 institutions that make up the United Nations University (UNU), the academic arm of the UN. Known as 'The UN's Think Tank on Water', UNU-INWEH addresses critical water, environmental, and health challenges around the world. Through research, training, capacity development, and knowledge dissemination, the institute contributes to solving pressing global sustainability and human security issues of concern to the UN and its Member States. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, UNU-INWEH has been hosted and supported by the Government of Canada since 1996. With a global mandate and extensive partnerships across UN entities, international organizations, and governments, UNU-INWEH operates through its UNU Hubs in Calgary, Hamburg, New York, Lund, and Pretoria, and an international network of affiliates.
