Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
11.3.2 LAND
With the increasing population and consequent food demand, proper re-
source management will be essential in creating a balance between human
activities and environmental sustainability. One of the many global con-
cerns with the ability to produce sufficient food for the growing population
is the availability of arable land. According to FAO, there is sufficient land
space to feed future global populations. Currently, 1.6 billion hectares of
land are used for agricultural purposes (almost the size of Russia), but
FAO estimates that there is as much as 2.4 billion hectares suited for ag-
ricultural expansion of wheat, rice, and maize cultivation [18-20]. How-
ever, when factoring in the importance of maintaining biodiversity and the
carbon cycle, there is anywhere between 50 million-1.6 billion hectares
potentially available for greater agricultural production [20]. In addition,
much of the land often considered suitable for agricultural conversion has
chemical and physical constraints, lack accessible roads, endemic dis-
eases, or is covered by forest. Land available for agricultural expansion
that is currently uncultivated, non-forested, relatively unpopulated, and
not under government protection totals 455 million hectares, which are
largely concentrated in Brazil, Argentina, and Sub-Saharan Africa [21].
The conversion of this land to agricultural production could cause severe
environmental and social consequences [22]. Potential to reclaim agricul-
tural land, approximately 26 million hectares, left abandoned after the col-
lapse of the Soviet Union however does exist [22].
Ironically, population increase has been historically correlated to farm-
land loss despite of an increased demand for food. Over the past 40 years
there have been signifi cant farmland losses around the world, most nota-
bly in China, South Korea, India, and the United States. Between 1980 and
2000, the U.S. population grew by 24%, approximately 50 million people,
during the same time 34% of arable and forestland was converted to ac-
commodate urban sprawl [23]. Also during this time period, agricultural
expansion in the tropics came at the sacrifi ce of both intact and disturbed
forest [22]. The increasing trend in population density and subsequent ur-
ban development is projected to continue by FAO [5], with magnitude
varying by region and competition with the energy sector [24]. In the
U.S., the developed area is expected to swell by 79%, to occupy roughly
