Soil degradation reduces global crop yields

A study led by the University of Bonn, with the University of Minnesota, the University of Basel, and Hamburg University of Technology, quantified the global impact of soil degradation on crop yields. Published in Nature Food, the research found that a 10% increase in soil degradation reduces crop yields by an average of 2%. Reversing human-caused degradation by 10% could feed an additional 70 million people. The study used machine learning to analyze yield gaps across 10x10 km parcels of arable land, correlating them with five degradation factors: erosion, dehydration, compaction, soil carbon loss, and vegetation cover. The research was funded by the Australia — Australian Research Council, the German Research Foundation, and the Switzerland — State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. The findings highlight the importance of soil quality for global food supply and suggest that policy measures can slow or reverse degradation.