Feeding the world’s growing population is a major challenge. Experts warn that we can no longer rely on expanding farmland to produce enough food. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has released a report highlighting the need for smarter, more efficient farming methods.
The world needs to produce about 50 per cent more food, animal feed, and fibre by 2050. This is to meet the demands of a population expected to reach 10.3 billion by 2085. However, current farming practices put a huge strain on our natural resources, especially water and land.
For decades, agriculture has increased food production mainly by using existing land more intensively. This involved using higher-yielding crops, more irrigation, and better technology. The amount of land used for farming grew by only 8 per cent between 1964 and 2023. In contrast, the area of land equipped for irrigation more than doubled.
This intense use of land means agriculture is using a vast amount of water. It accounts for 72 per cent of global freshwater withdrawals. This is leading to water scarcity in many areas, with groundwater being overused and saltwater entering freshwater sources near the coast.
Agriculture uses about a third of the world’s land. Poor land management has led to over 1.6 billion hectares of land becoming degraded. More than 60 per cent of this degraded land is used for farming. This situation is putting global food systems under pressure.
The pressure on land, soil, and water resources is also harming agriculture itself. Degraded soils, less available water, and loss of productive land are making it harder to produce enough food. This creates a difficult cycle.
Expanding farmland has also led to deforestation and the destruction of important ecosystems like peatlands. This makes land degradation worse and weakens the ability of food systems to cope with challenges.
The FAO report, titled ‘The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW 2025)’, suggests that we can still feed the growing population. However, future gains must come from ‘smarter’ production, not just ‘more’ production.
This means closing the ‘yield gap’ – the difference between the food that can be produced and what is currently being produced. It also involves growing crops that are more resilient to changing conditions and using farming methods that are efficient with resources. These methods should be adapted to local land, soil, and water conditions.
The report highlights integrated farming systems as a way forward. Examples include agroforestry (mixing trees with crops), rotational grazing, improving pastures, and rice-fish farming. These approaches can help produce more food while protecting natural resources.