Agroforestry-Based Strategies for Combating Land Degradation: Ecological Mechanisms, Socioeconomic Benefits, and Pathways toward Sustainable Development

Abstract

AbstractLand degradation poses a critical challenge to sustainable land management, with about sixty percent of global terrestrial ecosystems facing deterioration caused by soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and declining biodiversity. Agroforestry, which strategically integrates trees, crops, and livestock, offers a viable, nature-based pathway to restore degraded landscapes while maintaining agricultural productivity. This review synthesizes empirical findings from global and regional studies to examine how distinct agroforestry systems, such as silvopasture, agrosilviculture, and mixed horticultural systems, mitigate different components of land degradation. Evidence indicates that these systems can enhance soil organic carbon by twenty to forty percent, reduce erosion by up to fifty percent, and improve water-use efficiency by fifteen to thirty percent. Additionally, agroforestry supports carbon sequestration rates ranging from two to nine megagrams per hectare annually, contributing to climate mitigation. Socioeconomically, these systems diversify incomes by twenty to sixty percent, improve food and nutritional security, and reduce rural poverty. The review further examines adoption barriers and policy measures necessary for scaling agroforestry’s implementation in degraded regions. Using a structured literature review approach based on databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (2010-2025), the study emphasizes the integrative ecological and socioeconomic benefits of agroforestry. The findings underscore agroforestry’s potential as a transformative approach toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action, life on land, and zero hunger.