A high-resolution search by satellite found 15 to 20 percent more cropland in the world than previously thought and identified India as the world leader, says the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS says its new map, showing 1.87 billion hectares of cropland, will help “to ensure global food and water security in a sustainable way.”
The USGS-led project created a map based primarily on Landsat imagery with 30-meter resolution, the most precise observation yet of agricultural land. Each pixel captured 900 square meters, equal to 0.09 hectares or 0.22 acres. The larger world total for crop land “is due to more detailed understanding of large areas that were never mapped before or were inaccurately mapped as non-croplands,” said the Interior Department agency.
Past surveys put either China or the United States at the top of the cropland list. The new map lists India as No. 1, with 179.8 million hectares, or 9.6 percent of net cropland in the world. Next is the United States with 167.8 million hectares, China with 165.2 million hectares, and Russia with 155.8 million hectares.
“With the global population nearing the 7.6 billion mark and expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, it is of increasing importance to understand and monitor the state of agriculture across the world in great detail. This new research is useful to international development organizations, farmers, decision makers, scientists and national security professionals,” said USGS.
To see an interactive map with data for each country, click here.