Sustainable land use practices as driver of the world economy
Background
Almost half of the global agricultural land is moderately or heavily degraded, affecting approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide. The related economic losses are estimated at 17% of global economic output or 10,600 billion US dollars annually. In the coming years, agriculture will have to increase its production by 70% by 2050 to supply the rising world population. Sustainable land use is therefore central for food security through combating degradation, rehabilitating degraded land and ensuring optimal use of land resources and ecosystem services for present and future generations. Many farmers around the world use their land in a sustainable way. However, their knowledge is not documented and evaluated in a standardized manner, so that best practices can be shared, adapted and applied.
Objective
The aim of the project is to integrate a systematic management of knowledge on sustainable land use into the agricultural advisory system, to support evidence-informed decision-making and to disseminate widely the promising management practices of sustainable land use – at all levels from farmer to government.
Expected Benefits
- Partner country: The project supports the dissemination and application of land use practices, land rehabilitation and agriculture. By improving the local living conditions, a contribution is made against rural depopulation.
- In Switzerland: Switzerland supports a measurable contribution to mitigating climate change and biodiversity decline. Immediately for Swiss agriculture, the mitigation strategies and the mapping of these worldwide proven practices can also be of great practical value.
Contact Information
Thomas Breu, , phone: +41 31 631 30 58
Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern
