Historically, topsoil loss has been a major contributor to civilization collapse. Relevant books:

Cows Save the Planet: And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth by Judith Schwartz.

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, second edition by David R. Montgomery goes into detail about how soils affect civilizations and their lifespans.

Next on my reading list, the latest edition of Allan Savory’s classic book about reversing desertification, Holistic Management: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment: Third Edition.