Page 13 - Vol.38-No.1

CROP PROTECTION

FOUR ACTIONS TO IMPROVE THE STATE OF

OUR LAND, SOIL AND WATER

helping break down barriers between
regions and sectors. In sub-Saharan
Africa, for example, yields are only
24 percent of what is achievable with
higher levels of input, such as better
irrigation and organic fertilizers, in ad-
dition to sound resource management.
Similar issues are found in Central
America, India and Russia.
3) Innovation, innovation,
innovation
The rapid spread of mobile technol-
ogies, remote-sensing services, cloud-
based computing and open access to
data and information on crops, move-
ment of pests, natural resources, climat-
ic conditions, inputs and markets are
already helping smallholder farmers
enter the digital world. Such technical
and managerial innovations should be
prioritized in order to accelerate the
Soil, land, water. These are the ba- These have often proven ineffective
sics, the building blocks of our agrifood due to institutional and technical silos. transformation of agrifood systems.
systems, and supply over 95 percent of What’s more, there is often a mismatch For example, innovative, na-
food consumed. Though there is much in jurisdiction, since the boundaries of ture-friendly infrastructure projects can
more to it than that, a new FAO report is interconnected water system often do help minimize flood risks and offers
reminding us of these foundations. And not correlate with political or adminis- additional benefits in restoring envi-
the foundations, it seems, are cracking. trative boundaries. ronmental flows, fisheries, biodiversity
FAO’s new State of the World’s Land Land and water policies also need and water quality improvements and
and Water Resources for Food and Ag- to be more inclusive and flexible, tak- recreational opportunities.
riculture 2021 (SOLAW) warns us that ing into account marginalized groups
the foundations of our agrifood systems and smallholder farmers to ensure they 4) Invest in the whole
— soil, land and water — are already have access to resources they need. picture
at their “breaking point.” FAO’s Koronivia Joint Work on Agricul- The high costs of degradation and
The amount of cultivated land in- ture (KJWA) global initiative under the inaction only show the urgency to in-
creased by 15 percent between 1961 Climate Agreement aims to strengthen crease investments in sustainable land,
and 2017. And while human use of land land and water governance and make soil and water management and in re-
and water for agriculture has not yet it more inclusive by integrating climate storing degraded ecosystems. Better
peaked, all evidence points to slow- adaptation and mitigation policies land and water management will lead
ing growth in productivity, the rapid across agricultural sectors. Examples of to financial gains that can be used for
exhaustion of productive capacity and specific issues addressed under KJWA social, health and environmental ob-
more damage to the environment. Al- include solutions to improve the levels jectives.
ready, approximately a third of the of carbon in soil and wetlands and the Conventional funding has focused
world’s soil resources are classified health and fertility of grasslands and on maximizing agricultural efficiency
as moderately to highly degraded. croplands. and finding competitive advantages,
The SOLAW 2021 synthesis report thus prioritizing exports of high-value
argues that innovative solutions and 2) Integrated solutions crops rather than food self-sufficiency
collaboration need to prevail for the through data and planning and nutrition. Responsible investments
long-term future of land, soil and water. Pressures on land and water systems should therefore not narrow in solely
Here are its 4 main recommendations: risk compromising agricultural pro- on infrastructure solutions to increase
ductivity where growth is needed the production. Instead, international fund-
1) Degradation knows no most, meaning planning around such ing and public and private investments
should seek to explore new approach-
boundaries. Governance resources is crucial. es for investment in healthy and envi-
New tools are helping planners un-
should follow suit. derstand the extent and location of ronmentally sustainable land, soil and
National policies and laws that gov- yield and production gaps. A web- water resources. Farmers must also be
ern land and water resources are of- based, freely available land resources recognized as prime investors and not
ten disjointed or lack implementation. planning toolbox developed by FAO is just beneficiaries of public subsidy and
tariff protection.

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