All publications and documents

Globally, marginal lands make up about 21 percent (2.74 billion ha) of the total land (13.5 billion ha) area. However, about 1 558 million ha of these lands are used for agriculture, out of which about 224 to 300 million ha is classified as agriculturally marginal areas. From a demographic perspective, nearly 1.75 billion people (38 percent of global rural populations) live on remote…

Soil pollution is invisible to the human eye, but it compromises the quality of the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe and puts human and environmental health at risk. Most contaminants originate from human activities such as industrial processes and mining, poor waste management, unsustainable farming practices, accidents ranging from small chemical spills to accidents at…

Food starts with soils, and as the target date to accomplish the SDGs grows closer, it is more urgent than ever to reverse soil degradation and tackle its effects on agrifood systems. This booklet aims to review the role of soil fertility in producing sufficient, safe, and more nourishing food for healthier plants, animals, and people. It also offers recommendations for solutions that can provide…

This report details how 18 countries are using the Restoration Barometer tool to track progress on their restoration commitments under global agreements, which total 48 million hectares by 2030. Investments of USD 26 billion across 18 countries have brought 14 million hectares of degraded landscapes – an area about the size of Greece – under restoration, according to the Restoration…

Fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) in middle-income countries is one of today’s major development challenges. It is commonly assumed that low-income countries are more prone to FCV than middle-income ones. Yet over the past decade, more people have been killed from political violence and homicides in middle-income countries than low-income ones. This report outlines the extent of the issue,…

Research has shown that land degradation has had, and will have, severe impacts on crop production and supply chains in Africa. Regenerative agriculture has been found to be an important part of the solution. A report commissioned by IUCN and the UNFCCC High Level Champions and steered by a working group of African partners ahead of Climate COP26 in Glasgow provides compelling, quantitative…