New map shows 4.62 billion acres of cropland globally (2024)

FAQs

How many acres of cropland are there globally? ›

The agency has released a new, high-resolution global map that shows information about worldwide cropland and agricultural water use. The map is more accurate than any previous report, showing a total of 4.62 billion acres of cropland on planet Earth.

To review, it is agreed that planet Earth is comprised of approximately 36 Billion acres. Of this total approximately 11 billion acres are utilized as crop land, permanent crops, or pastureland.

How Many Acres of Land Are on Earth? Earth is mostly covered by water; in fact, it makes up 71% of the surface of the planet. In total, there are about 57 million square miles of land on the planet, which amounts to 36 billion acres. Much of this land is uninhabitable, as it is either mountainous or desert land.

Agricultural land area - Ranking. China is the top country by agricultural land area in the world. As of 2021, agricultural land area in China was 5.21 million sq.

From 2003 to 2019, the global population increased by 21% from 6.4 billion to 7.7 billion²¹. As a result, global per-capita cropland area decreased by 10%, from 0.18 ha per person in 2003 to 0.16 ha per person in 2019.

However, only half of the world's croplands are used to grow crops that are consumed by humans directly. We use a lot of land to grow crops for biofuels and other industrial products, and an even bigger share is used to feed livestock.

The total land surface area of Earth is about 57,308,738 square miles, of which about 33% is desert and about 24% is mountainous. Subtracting this uninhabitable 57% (32,665,981 mi²) from the total land area leaves 24,642,757 square miles or 15.77 billion acres of habitable land.

The land area of the World is 13 billion hectares. 4.8 billion are classified as 'agricultural area' by the FAO (this is 37% of the land area).

Flexi Says: The most fertile soil in the world is located in the region known as the "Black Belt" in the United States, which stretches across parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. This region is known for its rich, dark soil, which is ideal for growing crops.

The largest private landowner in the United States is the Emmerson family, which owns and operates Sierra Pacific Industries, one of the largest lumber producers in the country.

Who owns most of the world? ›

Roughly 1.3 billion years from now, "humans will not be able to physiologically survive, in nature, on Earth" due to sustained hot and humid conditions. In about 2 billion years, the oceans may evaporate when the sun's luminosity is nearly 20% more than it is now, Kopparapu said.

We can assume that the size of arable land is directly proportional to the habitable land for any specific topography. Going by this assumption United States has the largest habitable land in the world, followed by India and China.

Found in Ukraine, parts of Russia and the USA, mollisols are some of the world's most fertile soil. This type of soil includes black soils with high organic content. Vertisols – 2.5% of the world's ice-free land. This type of soil is found in India, Australia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America.

Key Takeaways. Agriculture is one of the largest and most significant industries in the world, so taking measures to increase production levels is key for the security and health of a country's population. Of the major cereal and vegetable crops, the United States, China, India, and Russia are the top producers.

According to the FAO, the world's arable land amounted to 1.38 billion hectares (5.34 million square miles) in 2019. Arable land worldwide has decreased by nearly a third since 1961. This reduction is due largely to reforestation, soil erosion, and desertification caused by global climate change.

Vegetation slows wind and water flow while plant roots hold soil in place and take up water. More than 19 billion ha (47 billion acres) of the world's croplands suffer from erosion and other forms of degradation resulting from human activity.

The answer is D because 38 percent of the earth's land, 11 percent of this is used only for crops and 1/4 is pastureland which is used for wild crops and grazing animals.

Put another way, the United States has removed, on average, 4.3 acres of farmland from agricultural production every minute of every day for the last 22 years.