Soil biodiversity and soil organic carbon: keeping drylands alive

By the year 2050 the global population is projected to be 9 billion and the world will need to produce an
estimated 60% more food, while 1.8 billion people will be living in water scarce areas. While food production
is increasing globally, the land on which agriculture depends is degrading at an alarming rate, jeopardising
future progress.
Soil biodiversity and soil organic carbon are vital to the way ecosystems function and they largely determine
the role of land in producing food, storing water, and mitigating climate change. They are the key to unlocking
the multiple economic and environmental benets—the multi-functionality—of land.
Globally, soil biodiversity has been estimated to contribute between US$ 1.5 and 13 trillion annually to the
value of ecosystems services. Yet despite its global importance, soil biodiversity is often neglected in public
policy and is being lost at a considerable rate through unsustainable land management practices, soil erosion
and other land degradation processes. Between one quarter and one third of all land worldwide is estimated
to be degraded, resulting in lower agricultural production, disrupted water cycles, and release of sequestered
greenhouse gases.