Arable land

Some land is made for growing crops.

People can plow this land to plant food. This is called arable land.

Other land is for animals. Sheep can graze on big fields.

This land is not for crops.

Sometimes, land can change. People can add water to dry ground. This helps more food grow.

But land can also get hurt. Too much salt can stay in the soil. This makes it hard for plants to grow.

We must look after our land. It helps us feed the world.

Arable land is land that people can plow.

This land is used to grow crops like food. In 2013, there were 1.407 billion hectares of this land.

Some land is not arable. It might be too rocky or too steep. Other land is for animals. This is called pasture land.

Animals like sheep can graze on these fields.

Sometimes, people change the land. They might dig wells to bring in water. They might use plants to shade the desert. This can help more food grow. This helps a country feed itself.

But land can also change in bad ways. It can lose its power to grow food. This is called land degradation. Droughts can turn good soil into desert. Too much salt in the soil is also a problem. This makes it hard for plants to grow. We must take care of our soil. It is very important for our world.

Arable land is a special kind of ground used for farming. It is any land that can be ploughed to grow crops.

People use this land to provide food for everyone. Some people define it as land that is worked regularly. This often involves a system called crop rotation. This means farmers change what they grow in a field. This helps keep the soil healthy for many years.

Not all land can be used for growing crops. Some ground is simply not arable. It might be too steep or too rocky. It could also be too wet or too salty.

Some land is better for animals than for plants. This is called pasture land or grazing range. In Britain, people contrast arable land with heaths. Heaths are used for raising sheep but not for crops.

History shows us that people have always worked with the land. In the past, people found ways to make hard land useful. On the Aran Islands, people used seaweed and sand. They covered the rocky ground to grow crops. In Israel, people built desalination plants along the coast. These plants remove salt from ocean water. This new water helps crops grow in the desert.

There are many important numbers regarding this land. In 2013, the world had 1.407 billion hectares of arable land. This was part of 4.924 billion hectares of total agricultural land.

Different countries have different amounts of land per person. For example, Australia has about 1.999 hectares per person. In contrast, the United Kingdom has only 0.098 hectares per person. These numbers show how land is shared across the globe.

We must also learn how to protect our soil. Arable land can suffer from land degradation. This is when land loses its ability to grow things. Droughts can turn good farmland into a dry desert. This happened during the Dust Bowl in the United States. Using too much fertilizer can also hurt rivers and waterways. We must watch out for climate change and biodiversity loss. These things put a lot of pressure on our precious land.

Arable land is a specific category of ground used for agriculture. It refers to any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.

While some definitions focus on the potential of the land, others are more precise. For example, the Eurostat glossary defines it by actual use. This includes land that is ploughed or tilled regularly. Most of this land is managed under a system of crop rotation. This practice involves changing the types of crops grown in a field over time. This helps maintain the health of the soil for future seasons.

Not all agricultural land is considered arable. There are several distinct types of land used for food production. One type is permanent cropland, which produces crops from woody vegetation. Examples include vineyards, orchards, coffee plantations, and rubber plantations. Another major category is pasture land. This includes meadows and natural grasslands used for grazing livestock.

These areas are excellent for hay production or raising animals like sheep. In Britain, people traditionally contrast arable land with pasturable land, such as heaths. Heaths are useful for sheep-rearing but cannot be used as farmland for crops.

Some land is classified as non-arable because it has physical limitations. These limitations might include a lack of freshwater for irrigation. The ground might be too stony, too steep, or too salty for plants. Excessive wetness can also make land unsuitable if it is difficult to drain. Even if land is not arable, it can still be agriculturally productive. For instance, about 59 percent of non-federal rangeland in the United States is unsuitable for cultivation. However, this land still holds great value for grazing livestock. Similarly, in British Columbia, Canada, 41 percent of certain agricultural land is unsuitable for crops but works well for forage.

Humans have a long history of trying to change the nature of the land. Converting non-arable land into arable land can help prevent starvation. It can also make a country more self-sufficient by reducing the need for food imports. This process often requires expensive technology. Farmers might dig new irrigation canals, wells, or aqueducts. They might also use desalination plants to remove salt from ocean water. Other methods include using greenhouses to protect plants from heat or cold. Some people even use hydroponics, which grows plants in water rather than soil.

History provides fascinating examples of these transformations. On the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, the land was once too rocky for farming. To solve this, people covered the islands with layers of seaweed and sand. This allowed them to grow crops on land that is still technically considered non-arable. In Israel, desalination plants along the coast have turned desert areas into productive farmland. Another historical method is slash-and-burn agriculture. This uses the nutrients from wood ash to fertilize the soil. In the past, people also created "terra preta," which are fertile tropical soils made by adding charcoal.

Global statistics show how much arable land exists across the planet. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, there were 1.407 billion hectares of arable land in 2013. This was a portion of the 4.924 billion total hectares used for agriculture.

The amount of land available to each person varies greatly by country. For example, Australia has about 1.999 hectares of arable land per person. In contrast, the United Kingdom has only 0.098 hectares per person. Other examples include Argentina at 0.933 hectares and Canada at 1.306 hectares per person.

Despite our efforts, arable land is very vulnerable to damage. This process is known as land degradation. Droughts can turn fertile fields into deserts, such as during the "Dust Bowl" in the United States. Human actions can also cause harm. Improper irrigation can pull salts, like sodium and calcium, to the soil surface. This makes the soil too salty for many crops. Deforestation in rainforests can also lead to infertile land. In Madagascar, slash-and-burn practices have turned about ten percent of the country into barren land.

Additionally, climate change and biodiversity loss are putting constant pressure on these precious resources.