Lead author Fernando T. Maestre of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology described the plan as a "bold, integrated set of actions" to tackle intertwined crises and a roadmap to implementation. The measures include restoring 50% of degraded land, reducing food waste, and shifting diets toward sustainable seafood.
Restoring 50% of degraded land would involve 3 million km2 of cropland and 10 million km2 of non-cropland. The authors stress the need to support smallholder farmers through subsidy shifts, technology access, secure land rights, and fair markets, alongside land-based taxes, environmental labeling, and improved data tracking.
Reducing food waste by 75% could save 13.4 million km2 of land, supported by policies against overproduction, donation requirements for surplus food, and public education. Spain's new laws mandating food donation and waste reduction serve as a model.
Integrating land and marine food systems could spare an additional 17.5 million km2 by replacing 70% of unsustainably produced red meat with sustainable seafood and incorporating seaweed into diets. This shift, the authors note, is especially critical in high-consumption countries.
Together, land restoration, waste reduction, and dietary changes could restore or spare about 43.8 million km2 by 2050, avoid 13 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions annually, and enhance biodiversity.
The authors urge coordinated action by the UN's three Rio Conventions-CBD, UNCCD, and UNFCCC-on shared land and food goals, citing UNCCD's recent COP16 decision in Riyadh to combat agricultural land degradation.
Research Report:Bending the curve of land degradation to achieve global environmental goals
Related Links
UN Convention to Combat Desertification
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
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