Up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, affecting more than 3.2 billion people and increasingly putting the businesses and economies that depend on healthy land at risk. These pressures are driven by unsustainable land use and economic incentives that prioritize short-term production over long-term soil health, compounded by climate change.
Healthy soil is not only an environmental or agricultural imperative; it is a strategic economic asset. Yet soil remains largely invisible in how governments, businesses and investors assess value and manage risk.
This paper makes the business case for action: soil dependency is business dependency. Healthy soils support productivity, resilience and long-term value, while degraded soils create growing risks. Recognizing and investing in soil health is both urgent and achievable.