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The neglected role of abandoned cropland in supporting both food security and climate change mitigation

Environmental Studies and Forestry

The neglected role of abandoned cropland in supporting both food security and climate change mitigation

Q. Zheng, T. Ha, et al.

As global agricultural land becomes scarce, the potential of abandoned cropland for recultivation and forest restoration offers a ray of hope. This groundbreaking research by Qiming Zheng, Tim Ha, Alexander V. Prishchepov, Yiwen Zeng, He Yin, and Lian Pin Koh unveils how strategic land-use decisions can deliver substantial food production and climate change mitigation while ensuring sustainable land management.

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Playback language: English
Abstract
Despite looming land scarcity for agriculture, cropland abandonment is widespread globally. This paper investigates the potential and trade-offs of using abandoned cropland for recultivation and forest restoration through natural regrowth, using spatially explicit modeling and scenario analysis. The study identifies 101 Mha of abandoned cropland (1992-2020), capable of delivering significant food production and net climate change mitigation potential, depending on land-use suitability and allocation strategies. Spatial prioritization is key to maximizing potential, and the authors demonstrate other approaches to further increase these potentials. Findings offer insights into the potential of abandoned cropland for informing sustainable land management to support food security and climate goals.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Sep 28, 2023
Authors
Qiming Zheng, Tim Ha, Alexander V. Prishchepov, Yiwen Zeng, He Yin, Lian Pin Koh
Tags
abandoned cropland
recultivation
forest restoration
food security
climate change mitigation
land-use strategies
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