FAO Unveils SOLAW 2025: Water, Soil, Food Future
By FAO
TL;DR: A new UN report highlights that over a third of global soils are degraded and water scarcity affects billions, jeopardizing food security and requiring urgent action.
- Global land and water resources are critically degraded.
- Over 33% of soils are degraded, impacting 1.5 billion people.
- Water scarcity affects 2.4 billion, exacerbated by climate change.
- Integrated management and agroecological approaches are crucial.
- Restoring 350M hectares could boost yields by 20B tons annually.
- Significant investment is needed for sustainable land-water technologies.
- Policy reforms and inclusive strategies are essential for success.
Why it matters: The degradation of land and water resources poses a direct threat to global food production and the livelihoods of billions, demanding immediate and coordinated solutions to ensure future food security and ecosystem health.
Do this next: Explore local initiatives or government programs focused on land restoration or water conservation in agriculture and consider how you can participate or support them.
Recommended for: Farmers, policymakers, investors, and community leaders focused on sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and food security.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations launched its flagship report, 'The State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture 2025 (SOLAW 2025)', as a comprehensive assessment of global land, soil, and water challenges and solutions for sustainable food production. The report reveals that over 33% of soils are degraded, affecting 1.5 billion people dependent on agriculture, while water scarcity impacts 2.4 billion, exacerbated by climate change, urbanization, and inefficient use. Key findings include stagnating crop yields in many regions due to nutrient depletion and salinization, with freshwater withdrawals for agriculture at 70% of total use, often exceeding sustainable limits. It emphasizes unlocking resource potential through integrated management: restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land could boost yields by 20 billion tons annually; precision irrigation and watershed restoration can save 40% of water; and policy reforms like tenure security and subsidies for sustainable practices are essential. Practical actions outlined involve agroecological approaches combining conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and crop-livestock integration to enhance soil organic carbon by 0.4% per year. The report profiles success stories, such as Ethiopia's landscape restoration feeding 20 million more people and Australia's Murray-Darling Basin reforms balancing water for farming and ecosystems. It calls for $300 billion annual investments in land-water technologies, including digital monitoring and nature-based solutions. Challenges like fragmented governance and smallholder exclusion are addressed via inclusive strategies empowering women and indigenous farmers. SOLAW 2025 serves as a roadmap for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, aligning with SDGs on zero hunger, climate action, and life on land. Data from 193 countries underscore urgency: without action, food production gaps could reach 50% by 2050. Recommendations urge governments to adopt national land-water plans, scale finance through green bonds, and foster international cooperation on transboundary resources. This launch event featured expert panels discussing implementation, marking a pivotal moment for global agriculture policy.