The 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention to Combat Desertification of the United Nations is already underway.

World leaders, policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders from across the globe are gathering to discuss key challenges related to land degradation and food security, identifying opportunities to shape a more sustainable future.

COP16 is poised to be a game-changer, marking a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet. It presents a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of integrating agriculture into global and national planning processes and showcase the central role that agrifood systems play in addressing land degradation, food insecurity and poverty worldwide.

Restoration of degraded agricultural land needs urgent political leadership, massive investments, and concerted actions. Without the restoration of agricultural land, the achievement of global targets of land degradation neutrality and zero hunger are not possible.

As this critical conference gets underway, take a look at a selection of FAO publications that present the Organization’s core work on tackling land degradation.