The Sustainable Use of Halophytes in Salt-Affected Land: State-of-the-Art and Next Steps in a Saltier World.

Salinization is a major cause of soil degradation that affects several million hectares of agricultural land, threatening food security and the sustainability of agricultural systems worldwide. Nevertheless, despite the negative impact of salinity, salt-affected land also provides several important ecosystem services, from providing habitats and nurseries for numerous species to sustainable food production. This opinion paper, written in the framework of the EU COST Action CA22144 SUSTAIN on the sustainable use of salt-affected land, therefore, focuses on the potential of halophytes and saline agriculture to transform and restore key functions of these salt-affected and marginal lands.