Industrialization, urbanization, and unsustainable farming practices pose a serious threat to the global land, causing 25% of it to degrade and 24 billion tonnes of soil to be lost annually. This degradation impacts 3.2 billion people and incurs annual costs ranging from US$6.3–10.6 trillion. In order to combat climate change, agroecosystems must reduce their rapid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Soil carbon sequestration emerges as a critical solution to address these challenges. Preserving and enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) is essential for global food security and combating land degradation, particularly in India, where mismanagement has caused SOC declines of 0.2–0.4% in major food grain producing states like Punjab and Haryana. Achieving targets of Sustainable Development Goal, especially land degradation neutrality (LDN), is pivotal, with India to restore 26 Mha degraded land by 2030. Restoring degraded agricultural land through carbon sequestration involves employing various agronomic techniques such as zero tillage, mulching, cover cropping, residue retention, agroforestry, and green and brown manuring etc. Conservation tillage practices, capable of sequestering 0.4–0.8 Pg C year−1 globally, is crucial for reducing agricultural emissions. Ecological intensification in land management enhances food security and SOC sequestration through essential ecosystem processes, emphasizing the need for integrated sustainable practices in global land management strategies.