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.
Effect of population growth to agriculture
Population growth is rapidly accelerating, intensifying the pressure on food production. This, in turn, leads to higher food insecurity, more greenhouse gas emissions, and large-scale environmental degradation. Food production, therefore, needs to adapt to accommodate a growing population and a changing climate.
Impact of agriculture to the global economy
Higher agricultural valued added per worker implies that more income is generated from agriculture which contributes to lower levels of poverty in rural areas. Lower poverty rates in rural territories is also associated with more production and income diversification and with more market oriented economies.