The Toronto Star
SECTION: BUSINESS
May 22, 2000, Monday, Edition 1

40 per cent of food land degraded, study finds

In releasing the study yesterday, the International Food Policy Research Institute said data indicated soil degradation has already significantly lowered the productivity of 16 per cent of farm land around the world.

Researchers used satellite photos, maps and other data to make the most comprehensive map yet of agricultural land around the world.

When combined with expert assessments, the study suggests that almost 75 per cent of crop land in Central America is seriously degraded, as well as 20 per cent - mostly pasture - in Africa and 11 per cent in Asia.

"The results of this innovative mapping raise all kinds of red flags about the world's ability to feed itself in the future," said Ismail Seragldin, World Bank vice-president and chairman of a consortium of international agricultural research centres, including the food policy institute.

Erosion is the leading cause of soil degradation in Central America, where hilly land is intensely cultivated, said Phil Pardy, the senior researcher on the project.

In Asia, salinization, waterlogging and other problems related to irrigation are the main culprits.

In Africa the leading problem is nutrient depletion due to a lack of fertilizer.

Soil degradation also is a potential problem in northeast Brazil and sections of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Paraguay, the study said.

The world grows about 1.8 billion tonnes of grain a year, but will need an additional 40 per cent in the next two decades to feed a growing population.

The food policy institute said the world's crop production can still increase significantly over the next several decades. Soil degradation, however, is undermining the long-term capacity of many agricultural regions, particularly in developing countries.

"It's not necessarily irreversible," Pardy said. Careful land management could restore soil health.

The report on agro-ecosystems was among five being undertaken as part of a multi-year project, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.