Land Degradation: Economic

Problems and Effects

Key exam question: Examine
the causes and consequences
of soil degradation.

Table of Contents
Introduction
World Land Degradation Facts
Positive and Negative Possible Outcomes
Causes of Land Degradation
Statistics on U.S. Land Degradation
More Statistics on U.S. Land Degradation
Loss of Farmland
Loss of Rural Land Due to Development
Average Number of Acres Developed Each Year
Costs of Land Degradation

Table of Contents contd

Costs of Land Degradation contd
Costs contd
Effects of Population on Land Loss
Possible Solutions
Ways to Address Land Degradation
International Efforts to Help Reduce Land Degra
dation
Counter for Amount of Arable Farmland Lost
Conclusion
References

Introduction
Land degradation is being caused by a wide
variety of factors. The economic and
environmental impact of the loss of arable
farmland is beginning to be felt by many
countries. If the loss of farmland continues at
current rates, some countries will become
completely dependent on others for their food
supply. An over abundant amount of
urbanization and improper land management
are key points that need to be addressed in
order to start attacking the loss of valuable fertile
land.

Review: World Land Degradatio

n Last
Facts
50 years has shown that worlds vegetated
land has decreased productivity by nearly half

Mainly caused by human activity

Destructive agricultural practices
Deforestation

Planet has lost 10% of total productive value

Capacity to provide crops and pasture

Forestry
Medicinal products
Other industrial products

Positive and Negative Possible Ou

tcomes
If strong efforts are made to stop land
degradation

The lost 10% could be reduced to 5%

Result would be healthier and more productive
farmland

If the problem is ignored

Earths lost productive value could get up to 20%
With some degradation affecting up to 90% of the
planets useful land

Causes of Land Degradation

Loss of topsoil due to
Overgrazing
Deforestation
Destructive agricultural activities
Exploitation of wood for fuel
All lead to soil erosion

Once topsoil is washed away, it takes

thousands of years to regenerate.

Case study: Statistics on U.S. Lan

d Degradation

At the present growth rate, the U.S. population

will double to more than half a billion people
within the next 60 years.
Approximately one acre of land is lost due to
urbanization and highway construction for every
person added to the U.S. population.
0.6 acres of farmland would be available to grow
food for each American in 2050 compared to the
1.8 acres per capita available today
At least 1.2 acres per person is required in order
to maintain current American dietary standards

More Statistics on U.S. Land Degra

dation

Food prices are projected to increase 3 to 5-fold within

this period
By 2025, the U.S. will most likely cease to be a food
exporter because food grown in the U.S. will be needed
for domestic purposes.
Since food exports earn $40 billion for the U.S. annually,
the loss of this income source would result in an even
greater increase in America's trade deficit.
America is the world's largest food exporter, so the future
survival of millions of people around the world may also
come into question if food exports from the U.S. were to
cease.

Task
Sort these statistics into economical and
social impacts.
Can you think of any political
consequences of U.S land degradation?
Look at your map of USA and shade the
countries that you see mentioned.
Annotate your map with comments about
what the shaded areas represent.

USA

Loss of Farmland
Between 1982 and 1997 about 39,000 sq. miles
of rural land converted to

Subdivisions
Shopping malls
Workplaces
Roads
Parking lots
Resorts
http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/farmland.html 11/23/03
This loss of rural land area is about equal to the area
of Maine and New Hampshire combined

Loss of Rural Land Due to Develop

ment

1990s2.2 million acres of rural land was

lost per year
By 2050, an additional 110 million acres
will be lost
Would be equivalent of losing Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont,
Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New
Jersey, and Virginia.

Average Number of Acres Develop

ed Each Year
(10 years) (5 years)
Area
1982-92
1992-97
Pennsylvania
43,110224,640
California
80,020
138,960
Ohio
46,860
104,240
Florida
116,310
189,060
Colorado
30,740
24,060
U.S.A.
1,388,410
3,193,200
By urbanizing some of its best farmland, the U.S. is limiting
future options to deal with social, economic, food
security and environmental problems

Costs of Land Degradation

Degradation increases the cost of
production the goods we all use and enjoy
It will eventually raise the cost of goods on
supermarket shelves and other stores
Degradation adds to our
Building costs
Energy costs
Transport costs

Costs of Land Degradation contd

Must include the cost for the reclamation of
degraded land,
the reversal of degradation.

Cost of reversing degradation depends on the

severity of degradation.
The sooner degradation processes are
recognized and reversed, the more efficient
and cost-effective is the rehabilitation.
As land degradation and rehabilitation are very
location-specific, there is no universally valid
estimate of cost per unit area of land degraded
or reclaimed

Costs contd
Another important cost factor is the off-site effect
costs
These include (externalities)
the siltation of dams and watercourses that reduce the
economic life of irrigation systems and power stations,
and dust emissions that affect public transportation (e.g.
roads and railways) and are health hazards

In the US, it has been estimated that the off-site

costs of degradation may be 45-times greater
than the direct cost of the loss of the lands
productivity

Effects of Population on Land Loss

Population growth means need for
increased urbanization
Population growth also means need for
increased food supply
How does this affect loss of arable
farmland?
Need more land to produce food
Also need more places for people to live

Possible Solutions
Need to decrease constant increase in population
Decrease number of births
Decrease number of immigrants

Will mean less land needed for urban development

Will leave enough arable farmland to supply adequate
food for population
Need to increase productivity of arable land remaining
Find new technology to improve land quality
Use new methods so land does not become overused and
allowed to degrade or erode away

Ways to Address Land Degradation

National level:
direct intervention in the affected areas
the development of non-agricultural
employment opportunities
population planning to make population
densities compatible with the populationcarrying capacities of the region

International Efforts to Help Redu

ce Land Degradation
International level:

mobilization of intellectual, institutional, and financial

resources
greater efforts to implement provisions of international
conventions
support to successful interventions at local levels that
can be replicated across wider locations

The disparities that exist among countries in

terms of their natural resources, economic
status, and educational level should be reflected
in policies and action plans to be implemented

Counter for Amount of Arable Farml

and Lost

36,543,965 Acres Lost Since 1970

Site has a counter of acres of farmland
lost since 1970
Equals 2 acres lost per minute
http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/farm
land.html
10/27/04

Conclusion
Given current depletion rates of land, water, and energy
resources, U.S. agricultural productivity is already
unsustainable. Should the U.S. population double within
the next 60 years, the subsequent decrease in arable
land will substantially change American eating habits and
dramatically reduce future food exports. If Americans
want continued access to abundant and affordable food
with the ability to continue exporting food, we must work
together to stop U.S. population growth and conserve
our country's limited land, water, and energy resources in
order to achieve a sustainable American future.

Task
Answer the Key Exam Question using the
information from the case study to help
you. Draw on information from previous
lessons also.

Summarize your case study

References
http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/farmland.html 11/23/03
http://dieoff.org/page40.htm 11/23/03
http://216.239.39.104/search?
q=cache:ZIjfaqwCB2AJ:www.planetwire.org/files.fcgi/291_Agricult.p
df+land+degradation+U.S.+farmland&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 11/23/03
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1995/0913/land.html
11/23/03
http://www.landcarensw.org/What%20is%20Landcare.htm 11/23/03
http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:V_JKB6y2ZcJ:www.unu.edu/millennium/el-beltagy.pdf+U.S.
+land+degradation+solutions&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 11/23/03
http://www.defenders.org/pubs/nsi06.html 11/23/03