Nature Geoscience, Published online: 19 October 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02124-9

Uncritical extrapolation of soil erosion models developed in the Global North to Global South settings for which they were not designed reflects and perpetuates neocolonial biases in geoscience. To build a more accurate and equitable understanding of land degradation, we must rethink erosion research.