how much land is taken up by animal agriculture

How much land is used to raise animals for food?

 · If we combine pastures used for grazing with land used to grow crops for animal feed, livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein. 3

How much of the world’s agricultural land is used for livestock?

If we combine pastures used for grazing with land used to grow crops for animal feed, livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land. While livestock takes up most of the world’s agricultural land it only produces 18% of the world’s calories and 37% of total protein. 3

How can I view the total land used for agriculture?

Land Raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses a staggering 30% of the Earth’s land mass. ( …

How much land do we have to lose for farming?

 · According to Worldbank.org, in 2016: [Of the] 37.4% of the world’s land area [that] was used as agricultural land … 11.06% was arable land [and the remainder of the 37.4% was non arable] 26 percent of the earth’s terrestrial surface is used for livestock grazing (smithsonianmag.com)

How much land does agriculture take up?

Globally agricultural land area is approximately five billion hectares, or 38 percent of the global land surface. About one-third of this is used as cropland, while the remaining two-thirds consist of meadows and pastures) for grazing livestock.

What percentage of land area is used by livestock production?

Livestock is the world’s largest user of land resources, with pasture and arable land dedicated to the production of feed representing almost 80% of the total agricultural land.

What percentage of crops are fed to animals?

Share All sharing options for: How much of the world’s cropland is actually used to grow food? Just 55 percent of the world’s crop calories are actually eaten directly by people. Another 36 percent is used for animal feed. And the remaining 9 percent goes toward biofuels and other industrial uses.

How much more land does it take to raise animals than plants?

And it does so more efficiently. This is because plant-based agriculture uses 115 million acres less land. While animal agriculture generates about $35 billion more than plant agriculture, the expenses generated by animal agriculture are considerably higher—about $55.8 billion more than in plant farming.

What percent of land is used for cattle grazing?

A 212-page online report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says 26 percent of the earth’s terrestrial surface is used for livestock grazing.

Can being vegan end world hunger?

While a vegan diet is the most sustainable, vegetarian and plant-based diets also contribute to ending world hunger. These diets all use fewer resources and contribute less to the harmful effects of changing climate than meat-heavy diets do.

What percentage of crops grown goes into feeding livestock?

“More than half the U.S. grain and nearly 40 percent of world grain is being fed to livestock rather than being consumed directly by humans,” Pimentel said.

What percentage of land is used for agriculture in India?

60.43 %Agricultural land (% of land area) in India was reported at 60.43 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.

What percentage of land is used for agriculture?

Half of all habitable land is used for agriculture. 2. This leaves only 37% for forests; 11% as shrubs and grasslands; 1% as freshwater coverage; and the remaining 1% – a much smaller share than many suspect – is built-up urban area which includes cities, towns, villages, roads and other human infrastructure.

How much of the world’s land is livestock?

If we combine pastures used for grazing with land used to grow crops for animal feed, livestock accounts for 77% of global farming land.

What is the agricultural area?

The agricultural area is the sum of arable land, permanent crops, permanent meadows and pastures.

How much land is there in the world?

The Land Area of the World is 13,003 million ha. 4,889 million ha are classified as ‘agricultural area’ by the FAO (this is 37.6% of the Land Area).

What is pastureland used for?

Pastureland (permanent meadows and pasture) For most countries, the majority of agricultural land is used for livestock rearing in the form of pastureland. In the map here we see the share of permanent meadows and pasture as a percentage of total land area.

What percentage of land is used for livestock grazing?

For most countries, land dedicated to cropland is typically below 20 percent , with many countries dedicating less than 10 percent. There are some notable exceptions, however; countries in South Asia and Europe allocate a large share of land area to arable farming. India, Bangladesh, Ukraine and Denmark all dedicated more than half of total land area to cropland in 2015.

What are the two main uses of agricultural land?

There are two main uses of agricultural land: arable farming (which is land dedicated to growing crops), and pastureland ( which includes meadows and pastures used for livestock rearing). In the chart here we see a global map of land used for arable agriculture (as a share of total land area).

How much fossil fuel is used in animal production?

Fossil Fuels More than a third of all raw materials and fossil fuels consumed in the United States are used in animal production (“Ecological Cooking” by Joanne Stepaniak and Kathy Hecker) The production of one calorie of animal protein requires more than ten times the fossil fuel input as a calorie of plant protein.

How much water does it take to produce 1 pound of meat?

Nearly half of all the water used in the United States goes to raising animals for food (“The Food Revolution” by John Robbins). It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat and only 25 gallons to produce one pound of wheat (“Water Inputs in California Food Production” by Marcia Kreith) …

How many times does animal protein need fossil fuel?

The production of one calorie of animal protein requires more than ten times the fossil fuel input as a calorie of plant protein. (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

Which country banned dog meat?

South Korea to Launch Task Force to Ban Dog Meat

Is animal based food a humanitarian problem?

This is not just a problem that impacts our planet, it’s a humanitarian crisis. Our demand for animal based products is diverting precious resources like land, water and fossil fuels to produce farmed animals instead of feeding the estimated billion + people that are malnourished in the world.

How much of the world’s arable land is used for farming?

One-third of global arable land is used to grow feed. – globalagriculture.org. [Of the 51 million km squared area of habitable land used as agricultural land in the world, 40 million km squared is used for livestock/meat and dairy, and 11 million km squared is used for crops excluding feed.

What percentage of land is used for livestock?

According to some estimates, 70 to 80% of agricultural land is used for livestock, and only about 20 to 30% for crops.

What is arable land used for?

Some arable land is used to grow crops (such as corn, barley, oats, soy, and so on) that become feed for livestock (instead of going straight to human consumption), which technically means it’s part of the total land being used for livestock production.

What are the two types of agricultural land?

Different Types Of Agricultural Land. The two main types of agricultural land are: – Pasture/grazing/range land (also referred to as meadows) Used for livestock rearing and animal product production. – Arable/cropland (also referred to as cultivated land) Used for crop production.

What is land used for agriculture?

Land used for agricultural production (like livestock and crop production) is referred to as agricultural land

How much of the world’s land is cropped?

At present some 11 percent (1.5 billion ha) of the globe’s land surface (13.4 billion ha) is used in crop production (arable land and land under permanent crops). This area represents slightly over a third (36 percent) of the land estimated to be to some degree suitable for crop production.

What is the majority of the world’s cultivated land used for?

When looking specifically at arable land and cropland, majority of the world’s cultivated land is used for crops that need to be replanted compared to crops that don’t need to be replanted.

How much land is used for animal feed?

While urban areas take up 3.6% of land in the contiguous united states, and cropland takes up about 20%, the Bloomberg article states that when you combine land used for animal feed and actual grazing land itself, a whopping 41% of US land (nearly 800 million acres) is used to feed farm animals.

What percentage of land is used for livestock?

41% of Land in Contiguous US Is Used to Feed Livestock. Sami Grover is a writer and self-described “environmental do-gooder,” now advising community organizations.

Is cutting meat and dairy good for the environment?

Energy. When Katherine wrote that cutting meat and dairy is one of the best things you can do for the planet, I think many of us focused on the methane emissions inherent in beef and dairy production. But that’s by no means the only environmental impact.

Is pasture good for humans?

To be fair, animal agriculture advocates will point out that pastured animals are utilizing often ‘low quality’ land and turning it into nutrients for us humans. And some will also argue that there are ways to manage pasture to better sequester carbon. But other studies suggest this is rarely the case .

How has animal agriculture made it possible for food corporations to turn farms into efficient factories?

The advent of industrial animal agriculture has made it possible for food corporations to turn farms into efficient factories, by doing so, disregarding the fact that they are dealing with sentient beings and forcing them to endure a lifetime of suffering and cruelty.

Why do farmers treat animals the same as workers treat equipment or machinery in a factory?

By treating farm animals the same as workers treat equipment or machinery in a factory, farmers are able to raise and produce animals at extraordinary rates. Doing so makes it final product, clothing or food in most cases, significantly cheaper for the consumer.

How old is a cow when it is slaughtered?

A cow that is raised for beef is slaughtered between the ages of 2-3 years old and a dairy cow is typically slaughtered at about 5 years old as she is no longer able to produce the high levels of milk that she shouldn’t be producing in the first place.

Why are my factory farmed chickens deformed?

Studies show that their rapidly growing bodies stress their skeletons, cause health problems , and leave them deformed.

Which animal is the most slaughtered?

Let’s start with chickens as they are the most slaughtered land animal in the world.

How does factory farming maximize profits?

Factory farming, from a business perspective, is a brilliant way to maximize profits by dramatically increasing the supply while at the same time bringing down production costs. And if factory farming was dealing with the production of cotton T-shirts or toys then it wouldn’t be as objectionable as it is.

Why do multinationals have complete control over their own production?

And because they are able to contract the dwindling number of farms to produce animal products their way , they have complete control.

How much more land does plant based agriculture use?

And it does so more efficiently. This is because plant-based agriculture uses 115 million acres less land.

How much more money does animal agriculture generate than plant agriculture?

While animal agriculture generates about $35 billion more than plant agriculture, the expenses generated by animal agriculture are considerably higher—about $55.8 billion more than in plant farming. Based on these numbers, the report concludes that “plant-based agriculture grows 512% more pounds of food than animal-based agriculture on 69% …

What is a faunalytics?

Faunalytics is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to helping animals by providing useful information to advocates to help them increase their impact.

Is resource use important in animal agriculture?

Nevertheless, resource use in animal agriculture remains a key topic for animal advocates to keep tabs on. This helps with reporting their findings to each other and the public. One group that has dived into the topic, and that is now delivering a thorough analysis, is the Humane Party.

How much more food does plant based agriculture produce than animal based agriculture?

Based on these numbers, the report concludes that “plant-based agriculture grows 512% more pounds of food than animal-based agriculture on 69% of the mass of land that animal-based agriculture uses.”.

Is animal agriculture more resource intensive than plant agriculture?

The fact that animal agriculture is much more resource intensive than plant agriculture has become fairly well known among animal advocates. And it is considered a useful message during advocacy. Faunalytics has looked into this phenomenon through many lenses including water use, and protein production. Many more studies exist on the topic than we are even able to cover. Nevertheless, resource use in animal agriculture remains a key topic for animal advocates to keep tabs on. This helps with reporting their findings to each other and the public.

What is a humane party report?

A report from the Humane Party analyzes the land-use, efficiency, and profitability of animal farming versus plant farming.

What percentage of the world’s land is used for agriculture?

The following graphic outlines the breakdown of how global land area is used today: As the chart details, 71 percent of our land is considered habitable, and half of that land is used for agriculture. Of that 50 percent, 77 percent is used for livestock, either as land for grazing or land to grow animal feed.

How does animal agriculture affect the world?

Industrialized animal agriculture rules the world’s current food system and is responsible for widespread habitat destruction, including rainforests, harmful air and water pollution, the extinction of species (including those who have yet to even be scientifically identified by humans), and it contributes greatly to climate change, adding more harmful greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere than the entire transportation sector combined. And as this research has detailed, many crops are grown to feed livestock rather than feeding the world’s millions of starving people.

How much is clean meat worth in 2027?

The lab-cultured, aka “ clean meat ” industry, which will hopefully lessen the effects of industrialized animal agriculture, has been making rapid progress in recent years and is expected to reach a value of $20 million by 2027. Advertisement.

How many people will be in the world by 2050?

These factors have led innovators to seek alternatives and solutions to the problem of industrialized animal agriculture, a problem which will only intensify as our planet’s population continues to rise and is predicted to explode to 9.8 billion people by 2050. The lab-cultured, aka “ clean meat ” industry, which will hopefully lessen the effects of industrialized animal agriculture, has been making rapid progress in recent years and is expected to reach a value of $20 million by 2027.

Is animal agriculture using the world’s land?

Extensive research by Our World in Data shows us how the planet’s land is being used, and as one might expect, industrialized animal agriculture is inefficiently using the world’s land.

What percentage of the Earth’s surface is used for livestock?

A 212-page online report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says 26 percent of the earth’s terrestrial surface is used for livestock grazing. One-third of the planet’s arable land is occupied by livestock feed crop cultivation. Seventy percent of Brazil’s deforested land is used as pasture, …

What are the ecological problems associated with raising livestock?

Other ecological problems associated with raising livestock are less obvious to the eye—like loss of biodiversity.

What is the impact of overuse of river water for agricultural use?

In California, overuse of river water for agricultural use, including a million acres of water-intensive alfalfa (the state’s highest-acreage crop, used for feeding animals), has contributed to the long-term decline of wild salmon runs.

What percentage of Brazil’s land is deforested?

Seventy percent of Brazil’s deforested land is used as pasture, with feed crop cultivation occupying much of the remainder. And in Botswana, the livestock industry consumes 23 percent of all water used. Globally, 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the livestock industry—more than is produced by transportation-related …

How much land is ideal for farming?

Just 17% of American land is ideal for farming. We don’t have that much to lose! The amount of the best land lost is about equal to California’s entire Central Valley.

Where is 10% of the world’s arable acres?

10% of the world’s arable acres lie within the United States.

What does it mean when a farmland rating is 0.65?

If farmland has a rating above that – say, 0.65 – that makes it great farmland. Below that, and it’s subpar. Farmland with a high rating is being lost disproportionately quickly, which means suboptimal farmland will have to be used. And suboptimal farmland requires more water, more transportation, more energy, more fertilizers, …

What is the most important factor that caused the loss of farmland?

It probably comes as no surprise that the expansion of cities and suburbs are responsible for most of the loss in farmland. But 41% of the lost acres actually came from development in rural areas.

Why is farmland being lost?

And, of course, some of the farmland being lost is for so-called “specialty” crops, like fruits and vegetables. But there are other reasons as well. Development on farmland can have negative effects, removing land that animals use as a habitat. Well-operated farms care for the soil, air, and water, and produce viable ecosystems.

Why is farmland less important than food?

This is concerning for a variety of reasons. The obvious one is that farmland produces food, so less farmland means the price of food may rise . The majority of American farmland is devoted to commodity crops – soy, corn, wheat – and many of the uses of those crops are not for direct eating.

When was agricultural land converted to urban land?

This image, courtesy of American Farmland Trust, shows the conversion of agricultural land to urban and low-density residential development between 1992 and 2012.