New maps by researchers at the University of Wisconsin show how our demand for agricultural land has grown dramatically over the last three hundred years; from covering 7% of the global land area in 1700 to around 40% today.
New maps by researchers at the University of Wisconsin show how our demand for agricultural land has grown dramatically over the last three hundred years; from covering 7% of the global land area in 1700 to around 40% today.
Trends suggest that demand will continue to increase, generating major social and environmental problems. To examine how these concerns might be addressed, the researchers are developing a model that explores trade-offs between land use, global crop yields and fertiliser use. Preliminary findings were reported at the American Geophysical Union's 2005 Fall meeting.
Further information on the work of the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE) and their publications can be found here.
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