Agency shifts in agricultural land governance and their implications for land degradation neutrality

Given current land degradation trends, Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN, SDG Target 15.3) by 2030 could be difficult to attain. Solutions avoid, reduce, and reverse are not being implemented at sufficiently large scales, pointing governance as the main obstacle. In this paper, we review dynamics in agricultural governance, potential may have enable or provide solutions towards LDN. The literature reveals agency shifts taking place, where value chain actors given increasing decision-making power governance. These manifested two interrelated trends: First, through coordination, such contract farming, increasingly influence management decisions. Second, international large-scale acquisitions domestic larger-scale farms, both instances of intensified direct involvement with management, overtaking significant areas land. new arrangements associated expansion, additionally unsustainable due absent landowners, short-term interests, high-intensity agriculture. However, also find that tools business cases catalyze LDN solutions. We discuss how governments other brokers can motivate push private deploy measures degradation. Successful implementation requires refocusing efforts and, necessary, constrain all over including actors.