We recognize the economic and social significance of good land management, including soil,
We stress that desertification, land degradation and drought are challenges of a global dimension and continue to pose serious challenges to the sustainable development of all countries,
We recognize the need for urgent action to reverse land degradation. In view of this, we will strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world in the context of sustainable development.
Measuring Land degradation is a challenge
①Declining land-productivity ≠ Land degradation e.g. less intensive agriculture may decrease yields in the short-term,but improve environmental quality in the long-term
②Increasing land-productivity ≠ Land improvement e.g. intensive agriculture may increase yields in the short-
term, but reduce environmental quality in the long-term
③Land degradation = Declining land-productivity degraded land will always perform worse than its unaffected counterpart
Conclusions
①Forests and semi natural vegetation account for 50% of all areas where land-productivity is increasing
②Agriculture accounts for 35% of the strongly declining area and 50% of areas exhibiting early- signs of decline - land under permanent crops is affected than other agricultural classes
③Less than 1% of EU arable land is coincident with declining land-productivity, and 0.2% of pastures, but over 10% of the most productive soils are affected –particularly the Western and Mediterranean regions
④Almost all Member States are affected by declining land-productivity to some degree
⑤Without an accepted indicator, we cannot yet confirm if the EU is Land Degradation Neutral or not