Grounding Human Security: Land and Soil in the Global Sustainability Agenda

April 22, 2014

Land is the crucial natural capital resource at the nexus of our food and water security. We need fertile soil—the skin of the land—as much as the air we breathe, yet we routinely take soil for granted. Land degradation is accelerating, especially in the developing world, threatening both environmental health and human security. Soil security is a prerequisite for human security and must be a vital part of the sustainable development goals we set. The global community can work together to balance land degradation and restoration for a more resilient future.

Luc Gnacadja is the 2014 Iscol Lecturer and Past Executive Secretary UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture brings prominent scholars, newsmakers, scientists, and leaders to Cornell to address environmental issues of paramount importance to humankind.