Global agricultural expansion

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan R. B. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Agricultural Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Expansion ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
The World ◽  
National Trends

This chapter asks whether evidence supports the widely held belief that land used for agriculture around the world has continued to rapidly expand via conversion of natural habitat in response to the demands created by recent human population growth. Contrary to conventional wisdom, global agricultural land use peaked in 1998 and has since declined. While habitat continues to be cleared for agriculture, on a global net basis, more agricultural land has been converted to other uses than vice versa. This analysis also found that national trends in agricultural expansion are driven by factors other than population growth. Although this does not mean agriculture is “sustainable,” these findings challenge the dominant narrative around global agricultural expansion and highlight other important issues that must be addressed. Looking at data at national and subnational scales is essential to understand the implications of global trends in agriculture, where improvements and interventions are most needed.

scholarly journals Agricultural land use and Population growths in Nigeria: The Need for synergy for a Sustainable Agricultural Production

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunday Brownson Akpan ◽  
Victor O. Ebong
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Rural Population ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Agricultural Land Use ◽  
Land Utilization ◽  
Near Future

The study examined the relationship between agricultural land use and population growth rates from 1961 to 2018 in Nigeria. Secondary data were obtained from Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Bank. Descriptive statistics, trend equation and correlation analyses were used. Findings revealed that agricultural and arable land utilization grew at the rate of 0.62% and 0.72%, respectively per annum; while the total population growth rate stood at 2.57%. Also, urban and rural population grew at a rate of 4.75% and 1.67% respectively. In addition, the agricultural and arable land utilization rates had significant positive correlations with the total population, urban and rural population. Besides, the findings revealed that, agricultural land (to total land ratio) has continued to increase and currently averaged at 68.78% indicating massive land expansion put under agricultural used. Findings revealed that, most arable crop outputs increase majorly from land expansion rather than land productivity, a situation that cannot assure sustainable agricultural land use food security in a near future. Hence, the country needs agricultural land sparing policies and technologies to slow the current agricultural land expansion drive. Besides, the country’s agricultural land policies should focus on achieving land productivity and sustainable land-sharing strategies among major land users in the country. Again, the rural population growth rate is lower than the urban growth rate, implying that, the rural population is deteriorating with its probable negative effect on farm labour. This needs to be addressed urgently if the sustainable agricultural system is to be achieved in the near future in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Implications of trade network structure and population dynamics for food security and equality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathyrn R Fair ◽  
Chris Bauch ◽  
Madhur Anand
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Displacement Effect ◽  
Trade Networks ◽  
Natural Land ◽  
Per Capita

Given trade's importance to maintaining food security, it is crucial to understand the relationship between human population growth, land use, food supply, and trade. We develop a metapopulation model coupling human population dynamics to agricultural land use and food production in "patches" (regions and countries) connected via trade networks. Patches that import sparingly or fail to adjust their demand sharply in response to changes in food per capita experience food insecurity. They fall into a feedback loop between increasing population growth and decreasing food per capita, particularly if they are peripheral to the network. A displacement effect is also evident; patches that are more central and/or import more heavily preserve their natural land states. Their reliance on imports means other patches must expand their agricultural land. These results emphasize that strategies for improving food security and equality must account for the combined effects of network topology and patch-level characteristics.

3. Synthetic biology and the environment

2018 ◽  
pp. 47-57
Author(s):  
Jamie A. Davies
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Commercial Application ◽  
Agricultural Land Use ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Land Water

The world faces a number of pressing environmental challenges: limited resources; limited space; loss of biodiversity; pollution of land, water, and air; and the impact of climate change thought to be driven by air pollution and by altered land use. Synthetic biology is being seen by many as a potentially powerful tool to be used in solving some of these problems in combination with other technical, social, and legislative advances. ‘Synthetic biology and the environment’ considers examples of synthetic biology approaches to environmental protection including reduction of greenhouse gas production, more efficient agricultural land use, detection of pollution, and bio-remediation of polluted environments, and discusses the barriers to commercial application.

scholarly journals Habitat percolation transition undermines sustainability in social-ecological agricultural systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Bengochea Paz ◽  
Kirsten Henderson ◽  
Michel Loreau
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Agricultural Expansion ◽  
Percolation Transition ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Landscape Degradation ◽  
Social Ecological

Steady increases in human population size and resource consumption are driving rampant agricultural expansion and intensification. Habitat loss caused by agriculture puts the integrity of ecosystems at risk, and threatens the persistence of human societies that rely on ecosystem services. We develop a spatially explicit model describing the coupled dynamics of an agricultural landscape and human population size to study the effect of different land-use management strategies, defined by agricultural clustering and intensification, on the sustainability of the social-ecological system. We show how agricultural expansion can cause natural habitat to undergo a percolation transition leading to abrupt habitat fragmentation that feedbacks on human's decision making, aggravating landscape degradation. We found that agricultural intensification to spare land from conversion is a successful strategy only in highly natural landscapes, and that clustering agricultural land is the most effective measure to preserve large connected natural fragments, avoid severe fragmentation, and thus, enhance sustainability.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document