Effective strategies now show how transforming food systems can be central in combating land degradation. Here’s how:
1. Integrated Landscape Management (ILM): Agrosystems That Restore
In Ethiopia and Mali, scientists found that techniques like contour ridge tillage, hillside terraces, agroforestry, and green manuring significantly reduced soil loss (by up to 37%) and runoff (over 27%), while boosting vegetation and groundwater recharge. This also unlocked diversified cropping, increasing income and resilience.
2. Regenerative Agriculture & Diversification
Global studies affirm that crop diversification, intercropping, organic amendments, and soil inoculations yield long-term gains. Over 20–50 years, such systems saw up to 2,800% gains in biodiversity, soil health, profitability, and carbon
3. Water Harvesting with Food-Centric Design
In Niger, restoration projects employed **half-moons and zai pits**, combined with mechanized tools like the Delfino plough. These enabled efficient rain capture (up to 10-fold increases) and rapid preparation of degraded soils for planting, leading to vegetation regrowth and improved yields. Additionally, bioreclamation tools using planting pits and organic residues have shown to rehabilitate laterite soils effectively, especially in drylands.
4. Soil Health: The Foundation of Resilient Food Systems
Nigeria’s soils are losing critical nutrients—on average 22 kg nitrogen, 2.5 kg phosphorus, and 15 kg potassium per hectare annually.** Revitalizing soil through organic matter, cover crops, and agroecological methods not only restores productivity but also fortifies climate resilience. Globally, UNESCO warns that without intervention, up to 90% of soils could degrade by 2050, threatening food security. Soil conservation techniques like mulching, reduced tillage, and continuous planting are essential.
5. Policy, Technology & Collaboration for Scaling Impact
To drive these innovations across landscapes, frameworks like Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) facilitate coordination across agriculture, forestry, conservation, and stakeholders. FAO’s PILA model in Nigeria demonstrates how multistakeholder platforms can align actions to local contexts. Building local research capacity, investing in soil information systems, and adopting smart technologies (e.g., satellite land monitoring, soil mapping) are vital for evidence-based decision-making.
