The state of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture 2025

The 2025 edition of The State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture examines the hidden and untapped potential of land and water resources to enhance sustainable agricultural production by safeguarding these finite resources. The report further explores sustainable solutions and integrated approaches for sustainable land, soil and water use and management, illustrated with examples, and identifies the key enablers required to scale them up for lasting and sustained impact.

An evidence-based integrated planning process is essential to incorporate the needs and views of different sectors and stakeholders, considering emerging opportunities to enhance production in a sustainable manner and avert planning decisions that could have unintended or unjust consequences. Integrated land-use planning is one such approach.Modern approaches to ILUP are based on the principles of decentralization and participation, acknowledging that farmers, herders, fisherfolk and forest dwellers have a legitimate stake in the planning process, together with actors who may have separate and at times competing interests in the use of land and water resources, such as for housing, energy, industry, mineral extraction, recreation or tourism.