The poverty of desertification

Desertification is land degradation resulting from climatic variations and human activities. It affects a third of the Earth’s land, resulting in poverty and hunger for millions of people in dryland environments.

At Excellent Development we believe that poverty cannot be solved in the world’s drylands without a significant investment in soil and water conservation.

According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), each year drought and desertification causes 12 million hectares of land to transform into desert. In food terms, that is the equivalent of losing 20 million tonnes of grain from hungry families every year.

Desertification is preventable and reversible: Rainwater harvesting, trees, improved farming and soil conservation are the tools needed to improve ecosystems and feed the world. Dryland farmers are the people who will effect this change.

Excellent Development supports dryland, subsistence farmers with existing, simple and inexpensive techniques that preserve soil, protect environments and increase yields. Such so-called methods of ‘agro-ecology’ could double world food production and alleviate poverty; transforming the lives of millions of people.