FAO: Tajikistan Among Most At-Risk Countries for Soil Degradation

A new global report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights Tajikistan as one of the countries most exposed to soil degradation and rising pressure on agricultural lands.

This vulnerability is largely driven by the extremely small size of the country’s farmland plots, The Caspian Post informs via Tajik media.

Why Tajikistan Is at Risk

With over 1 million rural households - including about 181,000 dehkan farms - land fragmentation is severe.

The average plot is just 0.2 hectares, while the median is 0.1 hectares, meaning half of Tajik farmers cultivate tiny parcels that are difficult to manage efficiently.

FAO notes that Tajik agriculture is constrained not by total land area, but by the quality of soil, access to water, irrigation systems, and technology levels - all of which limit productivity.

Global Trends: More Pressure, Less Land

According to FAO:

95 per cent of the world’s food is grown on agricultural land

Over the past 20 years, cropland expanded by 78 million ha

Pastureland, meanwhile, shrank by 150 million ha

Land degradation now affects 3.2 billion people

Yields in some regions have fallen by at least 10 per cent

Why This Matters for Tajikistan

Tajikistan relies heavily on irrigated agriculture and melting glaciers. With rising risks - drought, water shortages, dust storms - pressure on land is growing faster than in neighboring countries.

Since agriculture remains a major source of income for millions, deteriorating soil quality directly threatens the country’s food security and economic stability.

Small Plots, Big Challenges

FAO highlights a global imbalance:

80 per cent of the world’s farms are under 2 hectares but control only 11-12 per cent of agricultural land

Meanwhile, the largest 1 per cent of farms own about 70 per cent

In Tajikistan, micro-plots make it difficult to use machinery or attract investment, limiting yield potential and slowing rural development.