Work

Sustainable crop production through land-management technologies

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Crop production sustainability (CPS) faces unprecedented challenges due to climate change. Although land-management technologies (LMTs) show potential in improving yields, their contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains poorly quantified. Here, we assess LMTs’ impacts on CPS toward achieving SDGs through process-based crop models. We find high CPS concentrated in North America, East and Southeast Asia, generating maize surpluses and economic profits of 3.73 × 104 and 8.39 × 103 million USD, while Sub-Saharan Africa faces maize deficits of 561 billion tons, demonstrating global disparities in SDG2 and SDG8. LMTs exhibit regional adaptability: plastic mulching film shows highest adaptability in water-scarce regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, increasing CPS by over 23.84%. Drip irrigation suits water scarcity or seasonal drought regions, while biochar produces remarkable effects in specific countries, increasing CPS by up to 42.94%. Combined LMTs achieve 3–5 times greater improvement than optimal single LMT. We provide region-specific strategies for global CPS and SDG achievement. Broader context: Rapid global population growth and climate change have made achieving agriculture-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) increasingly challenging. While land-management technologies (LMTs) such as plastic mulching film, drip irrigation, and biochar have proven effective in increasing crop yields worldwide, their applicability remains poorly understood at the global scale. The effectiveness of these technologies is fundamentally determined by regional environmental conditions including climate, soil properties, and water availability, yet most existing research focuses on localized impacts without systematically assessing their spatial suitability or multidimensional contributions to SDGs. This research uniquely bridges this gap by establishing an integrated framework that connects microscale crop production processes with macroscale SDGs, comprehensively assessing the spatial suitability of LMTs worldwide and quantifying their contributions to SDGs. Consequently, it provides essential, evidence-based guidance for targeted agricultural interventions and supports sustainable development objectives in diverse global contexts through region-specific strategies.

Source: Nexus

DOI: 10.1016/j.ynexs.2026.100118