The earth is facing severe stress. A startling 52 percent of agricultural land is degraded, and malnutrition affects billions. Projections warn that by 2045, food supplies could drop by as much as 40 percent for a planet nearing nine billion people. This crisis threatens mass migrations, social tension, and conflicts unless decisive action is taken. A global initiative supported by the United Nations and the World Food Programme is focused on raising awareness about land degradation and mobilizing protection for soil health.
Like many, people know terms like climate change, carbon emissions, air pollution, and water scarcity. Yet the ground beneath our feet often receives less attention. For thousands of years, life on Earth has depended on a thin layer of fertile soil that rests just above the planet’s crust, a fact highlighted by Save Soil.
Healthy soils perform essential work: they store carbon, filter water reserves, and sustain global biodiversity. When soil organic matter diminishes, fertility declines and degradation accelerates. That is the core challenge described by Save the Land.
Among the causes cited are unsustainable farming practices, nutrition gaps, water scarcity, and climate change, with clear implications for the Spanish economy as noted by Save the Land.
Spain already features large tracts in categories such as arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid zones, underscoring the widespread impact of soil degradation.
A recent report emphasizes the scale: soil health is central to sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods, with the organization Conscious Planet noting the urgency of widespread action.
The conversation about desertification in Spain has moved from risk to real concern. Save Soil organized a roundtable that brought together scientists, farmers, and organizations from multiple countries to discuss land policy and its consequences.
A very profitable investment
Dr. Alisher Mirzabaev of the Center for Development Studies at the University of Bonn spoke at the gathering, noting that every euro invested in soil restoration can yield two to nine euros in benefits over a multi-decade horizon, depending on regional conditions. This is a measure of the ecosystem and biome protection that can be saved from degradation.
Sustainable soil management and restoration is described as a financially advantageous move. Yet many farmers and private producers face poverty and cannot wait for decades to secure income for their families. The call is for public investment paired with sensible land regeneration policies to unlock broader adoption.
Over the last decade, research shows barriers such as limited access to markets and insecure land tenure persist even when farmers are ready to invest in reclamation, highlighting the need for supportive policy environments.
The state of land worldwide is a constant reminder of what needs protecting. Save Soil’s mission, championed by its founder, emphasizes maintaining essential organic content in soils, with experts suggesting a healthy range between 3 and 6 percent.
Case studies presented by Mirzabaev illustrate how expanding land use and securing tenure, along with crop diversification and other measures, can improve the adoption of sustainable land management technologies.
Soil, a magic material
In Kazakhstan, a success story from rainfed farming shows a modest subsidy of seven dollars per hectare to adopt zero-tillage practices. The result was a broad shift toward conservative farming across millions of hectares, lifting farmer incomes and strengthening the broader economy.
Similar momentum comes from campaigns like Rally for Rivers, which promote river protection and a transition from monoculture toward agroforestry. Local farmers reported income increases ranging from three hundred to eight hundred percent as a result.
Save Soil’s core objective is to preserve a minimum 3–6 percent organic content in agricultural soils worldwide, ensuring soils remain vibrant and capable of sustaining long-term productivity.
Eight countries signed a memorandum of understanding to support this initiative, with the message reaching a broad audience during a recent global tour led by the founder to discuss soil health and policy.
From London to South India, the founder has traveled extensively to engage experts, influencers, artists, and policymakers in the push to address land degradation and promote soil stewardship.
The central idea is simple: soil sustains life. When the land is neglected, the entire planet bears the consequences. The message advocates soil as a precious, living component of the ecosystem, essential to keeping life thriving.
For more context on these efforts, one project offers further information via a dedicated informational site. Although readers are encouraged to explore, contact details and direct messages are not included here, keeping the focus on the issue itself.
The discussion continues as part of a broader movement to protect soil health and promote sustainable land use practices that secure a resilient future for agriculture and ecosystems alike.