Nairobi, June 28 -- As governments in Africa race to expand infrastructure, increase food production and attract investment, a silent crisis continues to undermine these ambitions: land degradation.

Every year, millions of hectares of productive land are lost to soil erosion, deforestation, overgrazing, unsustainable farming practices and poorly planned urban expansion.

The result is declining agricultural productivity, increased food insecurity, biodiversity loss and heightened vulnerability to climate shocks.

Recognising this challenge, the global community adopted the concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) under Sustainable Development Goal 15.3.

The idea is simple yet transformative: the amount and quality of healthy, produc...