Soil Erosion and Conservation

Soil erosion is a worldwide problem. Approximately 90 percent of cropland in the United States is currently losing soil above the sustainable rate. Soil erosion rates in Asia, Africa, and South America are estimated to be twice as high as those in the United States. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 140 million ha of high quality soil, mostly in Africa and Asia, will be degraded by 2010 unless better land management practices are adopted (U.S. Global Change Research Information Office, 2001).