Land Restrictions

The availability and quality of farmland is becoming an increasingly critical issue in ensuring global food security. Between 1965 and 2005, land brought into agricultural use increased by only 10% in total, a fraction of a percentage point per annum.

The rapid rise in world population has substantially outpaced the growth in farmland.

In 1960 there was 1.6 ha of farmland per person globally. In 2005 the average
farmland per person had fallen to only 0.8 ha. 
 

Of the available unused arable land, only 23% is considered suitable for rain-fed
agriculture. Additionally much potential agricultural land has been destroyed through salinisation or desertification.

The FAO have estimated that in the future, only 12% more land globally can be brought into agricultural use.

With a scarcity of land resources and a growing population, the solution to ensuring adequate food supplies is to enhance the yield per hectare. This is proving an increasing challenge to achieve. Substantial yield increases occurred in the 1960s and 1970s but these yield improvements are now tailing off. High yields rely on a combination of factors: good quality soil, water availability, skilled labour, favourable climatic conditions and continuing commitment to research and development.

Erosion and degradation of soil quality is negatively impacting existing agricultural land. In Africa, it is estimated that soil erosion has depressed land yields between 2% and 40%, leading to a continent wide fall of 8.2% in crop yields per hectare. 
 

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