The third edition of The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) has been published as an FAO flagship report for the first time.

This new edition, with the theme, The potential to produce more and better, focuses on the hidden and untapped potential of land, soil and water resources to enhance sustainable agricultural production. The report explores opportunities for improving food production, examining how to produce more and better to meet the needs of a growing population, and how best to manage the Earth’s most precious resources to achieve food security and sustainability.

Land, soil and water resources are the foundations of agricultural production and global food security. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion and agriculture will need to produce around 50 percent more food than in 2012 to feed the whole population.

Meeting this demand will place additional pressure on resources that are already under severe strain: over 60 percent of human-induced land degradation occurs on agricultural lands (including cropland and pastureland) and agriculture accounts for more than 70  percent of global freshwater withdrawal.

With 95 percent of food produced on land, the combined threats of land degradation, water scarcity and extreme weather pose significant challenges to agrifood systems, livelihoods and biodiversity.

However, we can significantly increase land productivity in most developing regions and for most types of crops by reducing the yield gap (the difference between current production and potential production), selecting crops suited to local conditions and adopting sustainable management practices.

As emphasised in the report, there is no single pathway, no one-size-fits-all solution. SOLAW 2025 provides multiple practical solutions for the sustainable use and management of our natural resources, depending on the socioecological context and production system, illustrated with concrete examples.

The report also identifies the key factors needed to scale up these transformative solutions for lasting impact to build more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. These factors include, among others, coherent policies, accessible data and information, innovation, sustainable financing and investment, and capacity development across institutions and communities.

The findings of SOLAW 2025 reaffirm that the future of food production depends on the way we manage our land, soil and water today. By providing concrete, technical options, the report invites countries and partners to rethink their approaches, invest in sustainable solutions and take decisive action. As pressures continue to rise, translating knowledge into action will be essential to secure resilient food systems for generations to come.

QU Donguy Director -General FAO - Openings remarks here

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Read the full report and InBrief.

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