Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026 Report

Why in News?

The Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026 report highlights that global soil degradation is worsening, while sustainable soil-management practices are not being adopted.

• Released by – Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

• The report was released during UNCCD COP17’s Food Systems and Soil Health Day.

Key Findings

• 95% of the food consumed by humans comes from soil, highlighting the direct link between soil health and food security.
• 58% of regional assessments reported that soil conditions have worsened since 2015.
  • Only around 10% reported improvement.
• More than half of the assessments recorded low or very low adoption of sustainable soil-management practices.
• Soil Erosion — It emerged as the single biggest soil problem.
• 81% of assessments rated erosion management as poor or very poor and 65% reported that erosion conditions were deteriorating.
• India-Specific Findings –
• India accounts for the largest share of land degradation in South Asia.
• Around 30–37% of India’s land area is estimated to be degraded.
• About 11% (83 million hectares) is affected specifically by water erosion.
• India loses around 4.8–5.3 billion tonnes of soil annually through erosion.
• This carries away approximately 8 million tonnes of plant nutrients every year.
• Around 29% of eroded soil is estimated to be permanently lost to the sea.
• Fertiliser Use and Soil Health –
• India, Bangladesh and Pakistan are classified as having unsustainably high nitrogen surpluses.
• In India, only 30–45% of applied nitrogen is taken up by crops.
• This compares with a global average of 59%.
• Excessive reliance on nitrogenous urea is linked partly to fertiliser subsidy structures, encouraging an imbalanced nutrient application.
• Policy Concern –
• Agricultural subsidies often incentivise higher production rather than healthier soils.
• The report calls for better coordination among agriculture, land, climate, biodiversity and nutrition policies.
• The report also highlights the disconnect between soil health and human nutrition, particularly regarding micronutrient availability and malnutrition.

About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

• FAO – It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international initiatives to eliminate hunger and enhance nutrition and food security.
• Members – 195 members, including 194 countries and the European Union.
• Other Key reports
  • FAO food price index
  • The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO)
  • The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)
  • The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO)
  • The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).

Reference

Down To Earth| Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026 Report