Finite resource
Land is a finite resouce, and while land suitable for arable farming can still be found, it is unevenly distributed and affected by many constraints, such as being settled, under forest, protected, or suitable for very few crops.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) analysis of global land use between 2005 and 2007:
- 1,530 million ha arable land
- 4,055 million ha of forest
- 3,374 million ha of meadow and pastures, and
- 4,060 million ha which are devoted to other uses.