The eco-system collapse and the urgent need for solutions
Reviving Our Planet: The Urgent Mission to Restore One Billion Hectares of Degraded Land
The agricultural sector is both a crucial sector to our modern lives and a looming threat to our planet’s future. Today, we are using the equivalent
of 1.6 Earths to maintain our current way of life, and ecosystems cannot keep up with our demands Currently, food production accounts for nearly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and uses 70% of the world’s freshwater resources. Every year, an estimated 12 million hectares of arable land are lost due to soil degradation and deforestation. If these trends continue, our food systems could drive us closer to ecological collapse, putting both the planet and food security at risk. This reality underscores the urgent need to transform agriculture into a sustainable industry, capable of feeding the world without exhausting its natural resources.
Restoring degraded soils is essential for the survival of our planet. The target? “Revitalize at least one billion hectares of degraded land over the next ten years.” This equates to restoring an area roughly the size of China and ensuring its long-term health. This urgent call was made by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a joint statement as part of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). Their recently released report, Becoming #GenerationRestoration, paints a stark picture of the current situation, highlighting the critical need for action. (Source)
the problem
Our ecosystems are on the verge of collapse due to large-scale agriculture and over usage of pesticides
The agricultural revolution has certainly changed our lives and made it possible for billions of human beings to guarantee their food security. However, the intensive usage of pesticides and other chemical substances has substantially impacted the surrounding environment of farmlands. The chemicals leach into the soil, water, and air, disrupting fragile ecosystems, and pushing numerous species toward extinction. For instance, there is a worldwide record of decreasing number of bees and pollination insects, putting at risk the whole human life. In fact, Wild bee pollination is essential for the reproduction of hundreds of thousands of wild plant species and plays a crucial role in ensuring adequate yields for approximately 85% of food crops. This leads to the decline of key ecosystem fundamentals on which humanity depends. More alarming, researchers from Australia and Asia have shown the possible extinction of 40% of the world’s insect species over the next few decades. According to them, the primary causes of species decline are, in order of impact: habitat loss due to conversion to intensive agriculture and urbanization; pollution from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers; biological factors like pathogens and invasive species; and the effects of climate change. Each of these drivers disrupts ecosystems, leading to the alarming reduction in biodiversity we see today.
In addition, monocropping known as specialized agriculture has been regarded as a significant factor behind the decrease of pollinators such as bees. This is due to the high usage of pesticides. Monocropping lands are more prone to pests on average, which explains why farmers use more pesticides. It is important to note, that monocropping depletes the soil from essential minerals and causes loss of organic matter.
Soil erosion is a significant threat to global food security
Soil erosion is the process by which natural forces like wind, water, and human activities such as deforestation and intensive farming wear away the upper, fertile layer of soil. This degradation reduces soil quality, diminishes its ability to support plant growth, and can lead to decreased agricultural productivity, increased pollution, and loss of natural habitats for pollinators. According to data published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 33% of the Earth’s soils are already degraded and over 90% could become degraded by 2050. Soil erosion is accelerated by unsustainable agriculture and deforestation (up to 1 000 times). In fact, soil erosion can lead up to 50% loss in crop yields. This is considered a significant economic loss, especially for vulnerable countries like low to middle-income countries.
According to a paper published in 2024, about 85% of global land degradation is related to soil erosion of which 10 million ha of croplands are lost annually in the world and this has been found to be the highest in Asia, Africa, and South America.
One of the main causes of erosion: is the heavy usage of pesticides, which has been integral to achieving higher food production levels over recent decades, playing a critical role in supporting food security for the world’s expanding population. Experts argue that maintaining the current scale and quality of food production would be challenging without pesticides, as they protect crops from pests and diseases. For the EU the average soil loss on arable land, which covers 28% of the surface area, has been estimated at 2.46 t/ha per year.(Source)
In sloping areas, soil erosion can carry pesticides along with soil particles during runoff. This particle-based movement of pesticides, called particulate phase transport, isn’t fully understood but may pose risks to nearby water bodies. Research shows that both dissolved and particulate transport, especially during heavy rain, can move pesticides into open water. During erosion, transported soil often carries more pollutants than the surrounding area, increasing the pollution risk. Some pesticides strongly bind to soil and sediment, making them less likely to leach into groundwater but more prone to surface transport. (Source) Pesticides are thus regarded as a source of pollution to the ecosystem.
the solution
Ecosystem restoration as a sustainable investment in our future
Every dollar invested in restoration creates up to 30 dollars
in economic benefits.
According to a United Nations (UN) report published in 2021, restoring ecosystems is critical for food security; agroforestry alone could improve food access for 1.3 billion people. Additionally, restoring marine fish populations to sustainable levels could boost fisheries by 16.5 million tons annually, worth $32 billion. Furthermore, to reach the global target temperatures targets, actions to restore 2.5 billion hectares of forest, cropland, and grazing land are needed, along with 230 million hectares of natural cover. Investments in dryland farming, mangrove protection, and water management could yield returns up to four times their cost. Restoring 15% of converted lands and halting new conversions could prevent 60% of projected species extinctions. (Source)
Hiba Sabbar, Pharm.D
Writer & Social impact consultant