The world’s soils are under growing pressure, with soil erosion, loss of soil organic carbon, nutrient mismanagement, biodiversity loss, salinization, pollution and urban expansion continuing to threaten the foundation of global food production and sustainable development, according to the FAO’s Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026.
The report, prepared by the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) of the Global Soil Partnership, finds that despite major advances in scientific knowledge and growing awareness of soil health since the first global assessment in 2015, the adoption of sustainable soil management (SSM) practices remains far too limited. Approximately half of the regional assessments show low or very low adoption of sustainable soil management practices alongside worsening threats to soil functions. More significantly, only 10 percent of regional assessments reported improving trends in the adoption of such practices.
The warning is particularly significant because soils support 95 percent of global food production, host about 59 percent of global biodiversity and constitute the planet’s second largest carbon sink after the oceans. Yet degradation is continuing at an alarming pace. Since 2015, global population has increased by about 0.8 billion, contributing to a 24 percent increase in harvested areas for major crops and consequently placing additional pressure on soils.
Erosion emerges as the biggest threat
Among the threats assessed by FAO, soil erosion remains the most severe and interconnected threat across most regions. The report says existing efforts to control erosion are largely inadequate, with the state of soil management for erosion rated poor or very poor in most assessments.
The situation has also deteriorated since the previous global assessment. Sixty five percent of regional and subregional assessments reported a deteriorating trend in efforts to address soil erosion since 2015.
The consequences extend far beyond the physical loss of soil. Erosion removes fertile topsoil, reduces rooting depth, depletes nutrients and soil carbon, restricts water infiltration and increases runoff. This, in turn, can intensify the risks of both floods and droughts.
Global modelling studies cited by FAO indicate that water erosion on cropland has exceeded an often-used acceptable threshold of 6 tonnes of soil per hectare annually. One estimate put average annual soil loss at around 13 tonnes per hectare in 2012, while estimates for maize and wheat producing land were around 11 and 6 tonnes per hectare respectively. Tillage erosion can be even more severe in some circumstances, with field studies reporting average annual rates of around 30.1 tonnes per hectare.
FAO notes that vegetation cover, whether through living plants or crop residues, is among the most effective measures for controlling both water and wind erosion.
Soil carbon and biodiversity under pressure
The report identifies soil organic carbon (SOC) loss as another major threat. Global adoption of practices aimed at preventing carbon losses remains poor in many regions, with the overall trend deteriorating despite some regional improvements.
Loss of soil carbon has implications not only for soil fertility but also for climate change. Soils are an important carbon reservoir, and degradation can reduce their capacity to store carbon and provide other ecosystem services.
At the same time, soil biodiversity is declining, which the report describes as the most deteriorating threat globally, although the confidence level for this trend is lower because of limited data. Soil organisms are essential for nutrient cycling, gas exchange, pest regulation and resilience to environmental stresses. Intensive agriculture, frequent or deep tillage, inadequate soil cover, inappropriate irrigation and drainage, excessive agrochemical use, overgrazing and traffic on wet soils can all damage soil biological communities.
Nutrient misuse creating another degradation cycle
Nutrient management is another major concern. The problem is not simply excessive fertilizer use. FAO points to both nutrient surpluses and nutrient mining.
Excess nutrients can be lost to the environment, contributing to water pollution and other environmental impacts, while insufficient nutrient replacement can progressively exhaust soil fertility. Acidification is also considered under nutrient mismanagement in the 2026 assessment.
The report highlights the importance of the 4R approach to nutrient management - using the right source, right rate, right timing and right placement. Correct source and application rate help achieve a balanced nutrient supply, while appropriate timing and placement increase nutrient uptake and reduce losses.
Salinity, pollution and urbanization add to the pressure
Salt accumulation or salinization is assessed as mostly fair to poor in terms of sustainable management and is deteriorating in many regions. Poor irrigation and drainage, water scarcity, inappropriate water quality and changing climatic conditions can intensify the problem.
Soil pollution is another growing concern. While conditions vary widely, FAO points to heavy metals, pesticides and emerging contaminants as important threats. Microplastics and other emerging organic compounds are increasingly being detected in soils. Pollution can threaten soil functions as well as human, animal and ecosystem health.
Meanwhile, expanding cities are consuming agricultural land. Urbanisation and soil sealing, where soil is permanently covered by concrete, asphalt or buildings, are particularly serious in parts of Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The report notes that cropland is projected to remain a major source of new urban land, creating competition between food production and urban development.
The problem is not lack of knowledge
One of the most important conclusions of the FAO report is that the world increasingly knows what needs to be done, but is failing to implement it at sufficient scale.
Hundreds of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of practices including reduced or no tillage, cover crops, organic amendments, residue retention, biochar, enhanced efficiency fertilizers, terracing, agroforestry and integrated soil fertility management. But there is no universal solution: the effectiveness of each practice depends on local soil, climate, farming systems and socioeconomic conditions.
The report describes this as a gap between “knowing and doing.” Farmers may understand the benefits of sustainable soil management but face economic, institutional and practical barriers to changing established practices.
Farmers are more likely to adopt SSM when it produces visible short term benefits such as higher yields, improved fertility, lower input costs or greater drought resilience. Practices whose benefits primarily accrue to society - such as improved water quality, lower greenhouse-gas emissions, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation - are less attractive when the private economic returns are delayed.
FAO calls for incentives, governance and stronger farmer support
The report therefore concludes that sustainable soil management cannot be achieved through technical recommendations alone. Policies, financial incentives and market-based instruments are needed to compensate for initial costs, reduce transition risks and allow farmers to capture the long-term benefits of sustainable practices.
FAO also calls for timely and accessible soil information, stronger extension and technical advisory services, and decision-support tools that convert scientific information into practical guidance for farmers.
Traditional and Indigenous knowledge must also be incorporated into soil-management programmes. The report says programmes are more likely to fail when they ignore local knowledge and communities. Farmers and local communities should therefore participate in designing and implementing SSM programmes, with scientific knowledge combined with locally developed practices. Gender-related inequalities, including limited land rights or decision-making power among women farmers in many regions, also need attention.
Integrated action needed to reverse degradation
FAO emphasises that soil threats are interconnected and therefore require integrated rather than isolated solutions. Preventing erosion, for example, can simultaneously improve soil carbon retention, nutrient cycling, biodiversity and resilience to climate stress. Integrated soil fertility management can combine mineral fertilizers, organic amendments and legumes, while agroforestry can provide permanent soil cover, diversified rooting systems and additional organic inputs.
The report’s central message is that soil degradation is not inevitable. But reversing it will require stronger soil governance, targeted incentives, greater investment in research and extension, better soil monitoring and closer cooperation among governments, farmers, scientists, private-sector actors and local communities.
FAO ultimately calls for a renewed global commitment to sustainable soil management, including strengthening soil governance; improving soil knowledge and literacy; expanding education and extension services; developing harmonized soil assessment and monitoring systems; respecting and incorporating traditional and Indigenous knowledge; providing targeted financial and market incentives; restoring degraded soils; and increasing technical cooperation and investment. The report stresses that effective governance and incentives are particularly important because the main barrier to wider SSM adoption is not the absence of solutions, but the lack of an enabling environment to put those solutions into practice.
For the world’s food systems, the message is stark: protecting soil can no longer be treated as an environmental side issue. It has to become a central element of agricultural, climate, biodiversity and land-use policy.