Land Use and Soil Fertility

FAO's global studies have shown that land resources in many tropical, sub-tropical and dryland regions of the world are seriously affected by land degradation, with severe impacts on many of the over 80% of the world's population who live in countries where agriculture and land are the primary sources of livelihood. Processes of land degradation include soil compaction, soil and water erosion, soil fertility decline, reduction of biomass, loss of soil biodiversity and other physical and chemical alterations as a result of inadequate drainage and misuse of soils.

In many countries, policies for sustainable land use remain fragmented and incomplete, generally because of institutional barriers, conflicting mandates, and the prioritization of economic over social and environmental goals and of short-term development over longer-term conservation goals. Within the broad range of issues addressed in UNCED's Agenda 21 (Rio de Janeiro 1992) and related conventions (climate change, biodiversity, desertification and wetlands), the main critical areas that stand out as future challenges and priorities for land-use planning and management include:

(i) Prime agricultural lands, especially in food-deficit countries, facing accelerated encroachment of settlements, industry and transport infrastructure, and degradation from inadequate management of wastes, effluents and pollution;
(ii) Areas where intensive agriculture is causing land, air and water pollution and where badly managed irrigation causes water logging, salinization, groundwater depletion and saline water intrusion.
(iii) Areas where land tenure conditions hinder development of sustainable farming systems and are a significant cause of degradation.

Government decisions for viable land use, land management and fertilizer policies are vital, and need to take into account locally-specific, agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions, while leading to efficient resource utilization by land users matched with market forces. FAO promotes policies for soil productivity, improvements and sustainable land use and provides related assistance to countries through: (i) integrated plant nutrition management and soil fertility enhancement; (ii) soil management and soil and water conservation technologies; and (iii) policies and strategies for land use planning, management and fertilizer use.

 

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