The Midwest lost 1.06% of its farmland in the two decades ending in 2021; development accounted for half of the loss, said Ohio State analysts Mujahidul Islam, Ani Katchova, and Carl Zulauf.
“The role of large urban areas is paramount, as 81% of land lost to development in eight states occurred within metropolitan statistical areas, which are regions with a core city of at least 50,000 people and strong ties to their surrounding communities.”
Based on the National Land Cover Database, there were 148.7 million acres of agricultural land in the Midwest in 2021, a decrease of 1.6 million acres since 2001, said the analysts, writing at the Farmdoc daily blog. Some 55 percent of the lost agricultural land was converted into developed land, likely due to urbanization, infrastructure expansion, or other development activities. Other agricultural land losses included conversion to forest, barren land, open water, and grassland.
Conversion to development was most important in Iowa, according to the three analysts. Development accounted for 90 percent of the loss of agricultural land in Iowa between 2001 and 2021. But Iowa, Michigan and Missouri had the smallest losses to development in terms of acreage. Illinois lost more land than any other Midwestern state: 155,653 acres.
“If a desire exists to reduce the loss of agricultural land to development, the expansion of large urban areas must be addressed,” said Islam, Katchova, and Zulauf.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
The loss of agricultural land is troubling, especially as the world population continues to expand. As we move from roughly 6 billion people on the planet today to an estimated 9 billion by 2050, it will require more productivity and efficiency from our agricultural lands. Losing land merely complicates the goal of feeding all those people. The struggle between alternative uses, such as urbanization and agricultural land, is not new. Some states have offered favorable tax treatment for farmers/ranchers willing to commit their land to remain in agriculture. Typically, however, urban developers can afford to pay more for the land and convert it into shopping centers, apartments or condos or subdivisions. This is why technology and sustainability are at the forefront in agriculture. It is a demanding job to feed more people with fewer productive acres available. Use all of the CAD tools like CADFI, CAD Protect, AgPack® to support farmers/ranchers in their effort to feed the world.
