Soils play a critical role in the production of food and feed for a growing global population. Here, we review global patterns in soil characteristics, agricultural production and the fate of embedded soil nutrients. Nitrogen- and organic-rich soils supported the highest crop yields, yet the efficiency of nutrient utilization was concentrated in regions with lower crop productivity and lower rates of chemical fertilizer inputs. Globally, soil resources were concentrated in animal feed, resulting in large inefficiencies in nutrient utilization and losses from the food system. Intercontinental transport of soil-derived nutrients displaced millions of tonnes of nitrogen and phosphorus annually, much of which was ultimately concentrated in urban waste streams. Approximately 40% of the global agricultural land area was in small farms providing over 50% of the world's food and feed needs but yield gaps and economic constraints limit the ability to intensify production on these lands. To better use and protect soil resources in the global food system, policies and actions should encourage shifts to more nutrient-efficient diets, strategic intensification and technological improvement, restoration and maintenance of soil fertility and stability, and enhanced resilience in the face of global change.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People’.

土壤在为不断增长的全球人口生产粮食和饲料方面发挥着至关重要的作用。在这里，我们回顾了土壤特征、农业生产和土壤养分的命运的全球模式。富含氮和有机物的土壤支持最高的作物产量，但养分利用效率集中在作物生产力较低和化肥投入率较低的地区。在全球范围内，土壤资源集中用于动物饲料，导致养分利用效率严重低下，并导致粮食系统损失。土壤养分的洲际运输每年取代数百万吨氮和磷，其中大部分最终集中在城市废物流中。全球约 40% 的农业用地面积位于小型农场，提供了全球 50% 以上的粮食和饲料需求，但产量差距和经济限制限制了在这些土地上集约化生产的能力。为了更好地利用和保护全球粮食系统中的土壤资源，政策和行动应鼓励转向营养效率更高的饮食、战略集约化和技术改进、恢复和维持土壤肥力和稳定性，并增强面对全球变化的抵御能力。

本文是主题“土壤在向人类提供自然贡献中的作用”的一部分。