Arable land is the territory suitable for plowing and planting crops, serving as the planet’s agricultural bedrock. This limited resource underpins the entire global food system and is fundamental to human survival and food security. Its availability is a primary concern for governments and environmental scientists. The scarcity of arable land is often overlooked when considering the scale of the planet’s water bodies, ice caps, and inhospitable terrains.
Defining the Criteria for Arable Land
Land must meet physical and environmental standards to be classified as arable. Criteria used by organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) focus on the land’s capacity to consistently support temporary crops. A primary requirement is suitable topography, meaning the land must be relatively flat or gently sloping to allow for mechanization and minimize soil erosion. Steep or rocky terrain is excluded because it is too difficult to cultivate effectively.
Soil quality is another determining factor, requiring adequate depth, fertility, and drainage capabilities. Soils that are too stony, overly saturated, or lacking essential nutrients cannot support robust crop growth. Climatic conditions must also be appropriate, necessitating sufficient heat energy, moisture inputs, and a suitable temperature range for crops to complete their growing cycle. Land that is technically cultivable but temporarily fallow (less than five years) is included in the arable land calculation.
The Current Global Percentage of Arable Land
The amount of land that satisfies these complex criteria is small. When considering the entire surface of the Earth, including all oceans and water bodies, the percentage of arable land is approximately 3% to 4%. This figure highlights that the vast majority of the planet is covered by water or is otherwise unsuitable for cultivation.
Focusing only on the Earth’s total land mass, which accounts for about 29% of the planet’s surface, arable land represents approximately 10% to 12% of the world’s total land area. The World Bank reported that arable land accounted for 10.69% of the land area in 2022. This percentage represents the fixed capacity of the terrestrial surface to feed the human population.
Categorizing the Non-Arable Surface Area
The main reason the arable percentage is so low is that the majority of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, accounting for around 71% of the globe. The remaining land area is composed of territories that possess inherent limitations for farming. Roughly 10% of the land mass is covered by permanent ice sheets and glaciers, primarily in Antarctica and Greenland, making it unusable for agriculture.
Beyond the ice, another 14% to 19% of the land surface is classified as barren land, encompassing deserts, dry salt flats, and rocky areas that lack the necessary water or soil quality. High mountain ranges and areas with steep slopes also restrict farming by making it impossible to use machinery and promoting rapid soil erosion. Permanent forests cover about 30% of the Earth’s land area; while biologically productive, they are not classified as arable cropland.
Pressures and Changes to Arable Land Availability
The limited global stock of arable land is under increasing pressure from human and environmental factors. Soil degradation is a major concern, reducing productivity through processes like erosion and salinization. Erosion occurs when topsoil is washed or blown away. Salinization is the buildup of salts in the soil, often caused by improper irrigation methods in arid regions.
Urbanization and infrastructure development also result in a permanent loss of high-quality farmland, as agricultural land is converted into residential areas, roads, and commercial zones. This conversion often targets the most productive land, which is typically flat and well-drained. Climate change is actively shifting the boundaries of what is considered arable by causing desertification, altering historical rainfall patterns, and introducing new temperature extremes. These factors emphasize the importance of sustainable land management practices to conserve the world’s finite arable land.