Contents
The United States has about 2% of the world’s arable land, and it uses about 10% of that for crops. This leaves a lot of room for other uses.
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Introduction
Agriculture is the husbandry of land and animals for the purpose of producing food, fuel, and other materials. It is one of the oldest human endeavors, dating back to at least 10,000 BCE. Today, agriculture continues to be a vital part of human society, providing food, clothing, and shelter for billions of people worldwide.
It is estimated that agricultural activities occupy approximately 38 percent of the world’s land surface. This figure includes both land used for crops and grazing as well as “set-aside” land that is not currently in production but is reserved for future use. The majority of this land is used for grazing, with only a small percentage devoted to crops.
The Land Use in Agriculture
It is estimated that the world’s agricultural land takes up about 10 percent of the total land on the planet. This percentage may seem small, but it is responsible for feeding a large part of the world’s population. Let’s take a closer look at the land use for agriculture.
The Land Use for Crop Production
Crop production, which includes both crops grown for food and fiber as well as those grown for biofuels, occupies about 38 percent of the world’s vegetated land. The majority of this area is devoted to cereal crops, such as wheat, rice, and corn. Together, these three crops make up almost 60 percent of the world’s food calories. Although cropland covers a significant portion of the globe’s land surface, only a tiny fraction is actively managed at any given time. The Rest is either fallow or used for grazing
Crop production is an important land use, but it comes with environmental costs. Clearing land for agriculture can lead to soil erosion and habitat loss. Intensive farming practices can pollute air and water resources. And growing crops for biofuels can displace food production and put pressure on limited land resources.
The Land Use for Livestock Production
Grazing is the main land use for livestock production, accounting for 70% of the world’s pasture and 26% of the world’s ice-free land. In total, grazing accounts for 30% of the world’s land surface used for all purposes.
The Agricultural Land in the United States
The United States has some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. In 2016, American farmers and ranchers produced more than $133 billion worth of food and fiber. That same year, the United States exported $139 billion in agricultural products. The United States is one of the world’s leading producers of corn, soybeans, wheat, and other crops.
The Total Agricultural Land
In the United States, 4 percent of the total land area is used for agriculture. This includes grazing land for livestock and pasture as well as cropland for growing fruits, vegetables, grains, and other crops. Most of the agricultural land is used for growing crops, while a smaller percentage is used for grazing livestock.
The Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production
Crop production accounts for the majority of the agricultural land in the United States. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), as of 2018, there were approximately 914 million acres of land used for crop production in the United States. This is down slightly from 2017, when there were 916 million acres used for crop production. The vast majority of this land is used for row crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. A small percentage is used for various fruits and vegetables, while an even smaller percentage is used for other crops such as flaxseed, hay, and tobacco.
The amount of land used for crop production has remained fairly constant over the past few decades. However, the types of crops grown on this land have changed considerably. For example, corn acreage has declined while soybean acreage has increased. This shift is largely due to changing demand from both domestic and foreign markets.
As the demand for certain crops changes, so does the amount of agricultural land devoted to those crops. The amount of land used for crop production in the United States is thus a function of both local and global market conditions.
The Agricultural Land Used for Livestock Production
Approximately 80 percent of the agricultural land in the United States is used for livestock production, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This includes land used for grazing and pasture, as well as land used to grow crops that are fed to livestock.
The amount of agricultural land used for livestock production has remained relatively stable over the past few decades, even as the total amount of farmland in the United States has declined slightly. While some farmers have switched from growing crops to raising livestock, or from one type of livestock to another, the overall trend has been relatively stable.
There are a variety of reasons why farmers may choose to use their land for livestock production. In some cases, it may be because there is a demand for meat, milk, or other products that can be produced from animals. In other cases, farmers may find that raising livestock is more profitable than growing crops, or that it is a good way to use their land while they are waiting for crops to mature.
Whatever the reason, it is clear that livestock production plays a significant role in the agricultural economy of the United States.
The Agricultural Land in the World
Agricultural land is land used for agricultural purposes such as growing crops and raising livestock. It made up about 38% of the world’s land area in 2012. The total amount of arable land in the world is limited and it is important to use it efficiently.
The Total Agricultural Land
Agricultural land covers approximately 38% of the Earth’s surface and over 26% of its landmass. This is a significant amount of land that human society uses to produce the food that we need to survive. However, it is important to note that agricultural land is not evenly distributed throughout the world. In fact, some countries have very little agricultural land while others have a great deal.
The amount of agricultural land in a country is determined by many factors, including climate, topography, and soil type. For example, countries located in tropical regions tend to have more agricultural land than those in temperate or polar regions. This is because tropical climates are generally more conducive to agriculture than other climates. Similarly, countries with large plains or other flat areas of land tend to have more agricultural land than those with hilly or mountainous regions. This is because it is easier to cultivate crops on flat land than on land with a lot of elevation changes.
Soil type is also a significant factor in determining the amount of agricultural land in a country. Richer soils (those with more nutrients) are generally better for agriculture than poorer soils. This means that countries with large areas of rich soil tend to have more agricultural land than those with large areas of poor soil.
The distribution of agricultural land around the world is further complicated by the fact that some countries use more intensive methods of agriculture than others. Intensive methods generally yield higher crop yields per unit area of farmland, which means that less total farmland is required to produce the same amount of food. As a result, countries that use intensive methods of agriculture tend to have less agricultural land than those that use less intensive methods.
The Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production
The Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production is the total land area planted with crops that are used for human food and animal feed. The data on the Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production are mixed. Some show that the Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production has decreased in recent years, while others show that it has remained stable or even increased.
The Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production is a small fraction of the total land area of the world. The FAO estimates that the Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production was 11 percent of the world’s total land area in 2013, down from 12 percent in 2008.1 This decline is largely due to an increase in the amount of land being used for biofuel production.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports that the Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production was just under 9 percent of the world’s total land area in 2011.2 This USGS number is lower than the FAO number because it does not include land used for “permanent pastures,” which are used mostly for grazing rather than crop production.
The USGS also reports that the Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production has remained fairly stable over time.3 This is likely because, as the world’s population has grown, farmers have become more efficient in their use of land, yielding more crops per acre.
The Agricultural Land Used for Crop Production is a tiny fraction of the total land area of the world, and it has remained relatively stable over time.
The Agricultural Land Used for Livestock Production
Livestock production accounts for about 80% of the world’s agriculture land use, mostly for grazing, with some devoted to growing feed crops. Grazing lands cover 26% of the world’s ice- and water-free terrestrial surface and are found on every continent except Antarctica.
cropland primarily devoted to producing feed for livestock accounts for another 5% of total agricultural land use. These feedcrops include cereals (grains), oilseeds, and root crops, which are grown on an additional 3% of the world’s agricultural land.
Permanent pastures, where animals graze year-round, cover 60% of the world’s agriculturally useful land and occur primarily in the humid tropics and subtropics, Mediterranean-type ecosystems, and temperate grasslands. Another 16% of agricultural land is used as temporary pastures—areas not grazed year-round but used at some point during the year for grazing, typically following the harvest of a crop such as wheat or soybeans.
Conclusion
In the United States, an estimated 417 million acres of land are used for agricultural production--close to 38% of the tot al land area in the 48 contiguous states. This includes cropland, pastureland, rangeland, and other land used for related farm activities such as animal feedlots and orchards.
While this may appear to be a large percentage of land devoted to agriculture, it is actually less than in years past. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the amount of farmland in use has been declining since the early 20th century as farms have become larger and more efficient. The USDA estimates that, if current trends continue, farmland will make up less than 30% of the total land area in the contiguous states by 2050.
