The potential of conservation agriculture and their ecosystem services
for land degradation neutrality
Abstract
The Green Revolution, which entails the use of pesticides, fertilisers,
and other agrochemicals, has greatly increased worldwide food production
in the last sixty years. Nevertheless, this heightened efficiency has
resulted in adverse consequences, including environmental deterioration
such as water and land pollution. Land degradation, resulting from both
natural phenomena and human actions, has a significant impact on a
considerable area of the Earth’s land and affects billions of
individuals globally. The annual economic cost of land degradation
exceeds $300 billion, resulting from a variety of causes such as
insufficient land management and the pressures of population increase.
Anthropogenic factors such as deforestation, intensified agriculture,
and population growth worsen soil degradation, jeopardising essential
ecosystem services and endangering food security. Simultaneously, the
increasing release of greenhouse gases and the resulting climate change
pose a significant threat to the long-term viability of agriculture. It
is imperative to take immediate action to reduce their impact. Given the
importance of soil health in sustainable agriculture and climate
mitigation, conservation agriculture (CA) is seen as a possible option.
Conservation agriculture approaches promote soil health, lower
cultivation expenses, and decrease land degradation by minimising soil
disturbance, boosting soil organic matter, and stimulating biological
activity. Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) initiatives, which are
essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 15, provide a
structure for achieving a balance between land restoration and
degradation. These initiatives highlight the significance of
implementing sustainable land management methods. This review compiles
up-to-date research on conservation measures that promote Land
Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and examines their implications for
ecosystem services and policy interventions. The assessment emphasises
the importance of sustainable land management and stresses the necessity
of collective actions to tackle land degradation concerns and ensure
agricultural sustainability in response to increasing environmental
risks.