Healthy land should be recognized as critical economic infrastructure, essential for livelihoods, food production, water security, and raw material supply, according to analysis by Diane Holdorf and Mahmoud Mohieldin. This perspective reframes land stewardship not as an environmental concern alone, but as a fundamental component of economic resilience.
Globally, approximately half of the world's economic output, valued at $44 trillion, is moderately to highly dependent on natural capital, including healthy land. The restoration of degraded land is therefore presented as a key investment opportunity. Furthermore, responsible management and restoration practices can yield co-benefits such as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, including agricultural methane, through improvements in livestock health and feed quality.
Experts project that by 2050, three-quarters of the global population could be affected by drought. The consequences for businesses and supply chains are expected to be substantial, leading to disrupted production, increased operational costs, and greater volatility in commodity prices. Developing nations face a particularly acute challenge, as those most vulnerable to drought and land degradation often possess the least financial capacity to invest in resilience measures. A reduction in agricultural output due to drought can rapidly escalate into a broader economic crisis for these countries, marked by rising food import expenditures, diminished rural incomes, and heightened pressure on public finances and foreign currency reserves.