Soils are indispensable for the provision of several functions. Agricultural intensification and its focus on increasing primary productivity (PP) poses a threat to soil quality, due to increases in nutrient loads, greenhouse gas emissions and declining biodiversity.

Agricultural GDP in Ethiopia grew at an average 7.3 percent per year between 2001/02 and 2012/13.

As the applications of Earth system models (ESMs) move from general climate projections toward questions of mitigation and adaptation, the inclusion of land management practices in these models becomes crucial.

Existing approaches and methodologies that investigate effects of land degradation on food security vary greatly.