Analysis of the impact of soil degradation on national food security from an environmental and sustainability perspective

Abstract

Background: Soil degradation poses a severe threat to national food systems, yet it is rarely integrated explicitly into national resilience policy frameworks. Methods: This study examines the structural relationship between soil degradation dynamics and national food security capacity in Indonesia from a socio-ecological perspective. Utilizing a descriptive-qualitative approach with secondary data triangulation across datasets from KLHK, BPS, and the National Food Agency (BPN), this paper maps cross provincial variations in critical land area against regional Food Security Index (FSI) outcomes. Findings: The findings reveal a clear negative linear correlation; highly degraded regions such as East Nusa Tenggara and West Kalimantan register low FSI scores (<65) due to severe erosions and stagnant primary crop (rice and maize) productivity. Conversely, environmentally stable zones like DI Yogyakarta maintain high food security (>80) supported by strong institutional adaptive capacity. Conclusion: In conclusion, transitioning from conventional input-intensive farming to structured agro-ecological restoration frameworks is vital to reverse soil degradation, optimize long-term crop yields, and secure national food sovereignty against escalating climate uncertainties. Novelty of this study: While this study is limited by its reliance on macro-level secondary data without primary field sampling or spatial inferential modeling, its core novelty lies in positioning soil health nor merely as an agronomic variable, but as a baseline pillar for systemic national resilience planning. Ultimately, this study transitions the discourse toward an actionable, policy focused frameworks that integrates soil conservation metrics into long term national security paradigms to safeguard and adaptive and equitable food system.