Implications of wide-scale cropland restoration: A crucial element of the forest landscape restoration approach

Abstract

The results of this study reveal that the full inclusion of crop production in the forest landscape restoration approach could produce largescale,
worldwide benefits for food security and therefore facilitate a wide uptake of restoration practices and the implementation of large
restoration projects. The positive impacts are multifaceted and significant in size: a reduction in malnourished children ranging from three
to six million; a reduced number of people at risk of hunger, estimated to be between 70 and 151 million; reduced pressure for expansion
of cropland; increased soil fertility; and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, while also increasing yields and productivity. The benefits from
restoration practices on crop production strongly suggest that a forest landscape restoration approach that meaningfully integrates agriculture
can facilitate the implementation of restoration plans on large amounts of land.