Land degradation is associated with larger crop yield gaps across global croplands

Abstract There is a long-standing concern that land degradation reduces agricultural productivity, particularly in the long run. However, the empirical evidence on this issue remains inconclusive. Here, we present a global quantification of the link between land degradation, measured as the difference between current and historical conditions, and crop yield gaps, defined as the difference between attainable and attained yields. Our analysis establishes that, on average, a 10% increase in land degradation is associated with a roughly 2% increase in average crop yield gaps. Regionally, the loss can reach up to 6% for a 10% increase in land degradation in the globally most affected hotspots. These include northern and southern India, northeastern China, the US Midwest, as well as parts of Central and South America, particularly northern Argentina. Aggregated across the world’s croplands, this translates into estimated losses of 20 million tonnes in crop production, corresponding to 52 trillion kcal, roughly the annual food calorie supply for 71 million people, and 4 billion USD in annual crop revenues.