Loosing U.S. Farmland

Yesterday the American Farmland Trust released an assessment on the loss of U.S. farmland. The results are quite concerning.  I am guessing the results would be similar for forestland.

American Farmland Trust works with Conservation Science Partners and NRCS to prepare farmland loss report.

American Farmland Trust releases the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken of the loss of U.S. farmland and ranchland. “Farms Under Threat: The State ofAmerica’s Farmland” sounds a stark warning: The loss of farmland is serious and will accelerate unless we take action.

Among the report’s key findings:

• Between 1992 and 2012, almost 31 million acres of farmland were lost, equal to all the farmland in Iowa. That's 175 acres an hour, or 3 acres every single minute
• Nearly twice the area of farmland was lost than was previously shown
• 11 million of those acres were among the best farmland in the nation - classified as the most productive, most versatile and most resilient land
• Development disproportionately occurred on agricultural lands, with 62 percent of all development occurring on farmland
• Expanding urban areas accounted for 59 percent of the loss. Low-density residential development, or the building of houses on 1-to-20-acre parcels, accounted for 41 percent.

Conversion of ag lands to urban and low-density development between 1992 and 2012.

View the full report here.