Each year, about 12 million hectares of land become desertified—so how can we promote the development of regenerative agriculture to enhance climate resilience?

Regenerative agriculture helps build resilience to climate impacts.‍‍‍‍

Image source:Unsplash/Tobias Jelskov

Tania Strauss

Global Head of Food and Water at the World Economic Forum

Regenerative agriculture offers a critical pathway to restore soil health, sequester carbon, and build resilience against climate impacts.
Agricultural climate finance needs to be significantly scaled up, and innovative financing models are essential for building sustainable food systems.
Cross-sector collaboration is key to empowering farmers and building resilient, equitable food systems. By integrating resources and expertise, we can accelerate progress toward this goal.

The global food system is at a critical juncture, simultaneously exacerbating climate change while being severely vulnerable to its impacts. Agriculture is one of the main drivers, accounting for 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consuming 70% of the world’s freshwater resources.

Soil is being depleted at an alarming rate—each year, about 12 million hectares of land fall victim to desertification, an area equivalent to the size of Iceland. Land degradation not only reduces agricultural productivity but also releases stored carbon, further fueling climate change.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has issued a stark warning: if left unchecked, by 2050, up to 90% of the world’s soil could degrade, exacerbating poverty, hunger, and instability in food systems. To turn the tide, we must urgently invest in a just transition—restoring soil health, capturing carbon, and building resilience against water and climate challenges.

Agriculture is highly vulnerable to resource degradation, soil erosion, and changes in water availability (which can lead to floods, droughts, and pollution)—yet it also has the potential to be part of the solution. Regenerative agricultural practices can sequester carbon, enhance water retention, and boost biodiversity.

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, scheduled for late 2024, presents a global opportunity to promote regenerative agriculture and rally support for farmers across the entire value chain.

The Impact of Regenerative Agriculture

By adopting practices such as no-till farming, agroforestry, crop rotation, and cover cropping, farmers can help restore soil health, sequester carbon, and enhance biodiversity.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if regenerative agriculture is employed to enhance the soil's capacity for carbon sequestration, it could capture up to 23 billion tons of CO₂ by 2050—accounting for a significant portion of the emissions reductions needed to meet the global goal of limiting warming to no more than 1.5°C.

Regenerative agriculture also enhances water retention, boosts biodiversity, and fosters healthier ecosystems, ultimately strengthening resilience to climate impacts.

In regions where climate change has already severely disrupted agriculture—such as sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia—regenerative farming practices can help farmers boost yields, reduce their reliance on costly inputs like synthetic fertilizers, and safeguard livelihoods from the impacts of extreme weather.

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