Repurposing Agricultural Subsidies to Restore Degraded Farmland and Grow Rural Prosperity

This report advocates for repurposing global agricultural subsidies—which grew from $325 billion in 2000 to $619 billion—into land restoration efforts. It highlights that low-carbon techniques like agroforestry can return $7-30 per $1 invested, helping to mitigate the fact that agriculture and land use cause up to 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions and threatening the ability to feed 10 billion people by 2050.

• Global agricultural subsidies have increased from $325 billion annually in 2000 to $619 billion today, and their misallocation is a primary driver of ecosystem degradation and deforestation. Agriculture and land use change are responsible for up to 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Incentivizing farmers to adopt low-carbon agricultural techniques, including silvopasture and agroforestry, can generate economic benefits ranging from $7 to $30 for every $1 invested. These practices are noted to improve rural incomes and food security while protecting ecosystems and reducing emissions, with evidence cited from Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
• To build a sustainable food system and support a projected global population of 10 billion by 2050, governments should repurpose underperforming subsidies during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). Recommended actions include redesigning existing subsidies, creating new payments for restoration, investing in smallholder farmers, and implementing systems for progress tracking and peer-learning.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Repurposing Agricultural Subsidies to Restore Degraded Farmland and Grow Rural Prosperity. https://www.wri.org/research/farm-restoration-subsidies

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Repurposing Agricultural Subsidies to Restore Degraded Farmland and Grow Rural Prosperity. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/farm-restoration-subsidies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Repurposing Agricultural Subsidies to Restore Degraded Farmland and Grow Rural Prosperity |url=https://www.wri.org/research/farm-restoration-subsidies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendrepurposing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Repurposing Agricultural Subsidies to Restore Degraded Farmland and Grow Rural Prosperity}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/farm-restoration-subsidies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }