Did you know that only 11% of the world’s land qualifies as tillable farmland, sometimes called arable land?
In the Midwest alone, that limited land base totals roughly 127 million acres. Each year, those acres generate approximately $350 billion in agricultural production. Together, those numbers offer a clear reminder of just how valuable and important productive farmland really is.
Farmland Fact Video
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What This Farmland Fact Tells Us
Most land across the globe simply cannot support crop production. Soil limitations, climate conditions, terrain, and environmental restrictions eliminate large areas from reliable agricultural use.
As a result, a relatively small portion of the earth’s surface must produce food, fuel, and fiber at scale. Because of that, tillable farmland plays an outsized role in both regional economies and global food systems.
Why Tillable Farmland Is So Valuable
The importance of productive farmland becomes much clearer when you consider its limitations.
- Tillable farmland cannot be manufactured or replaced
- It cannot be relocated to better soil or climate conditions
- Once development removes land from production, it rarely returns
- Demand for agricultural output remains consistent over time
At the same time, population growth and ongoing development continue to reduce the available land base. Because of that trend, high-quality tillable acres become more important with each passing year.
The Bigger Takeaway
Only a small percentage of the earth’s surface can reliably grow crops. Even fewer acres do so at the scale and efficiency found throughout the Midwest.
For that reason, productive farmland continues to matter—not just today, but well into the future.
This post is the first in our Farmland Fact series, where we share short, data-driven insights to help landowners, buyers, and investors better understand what drives farmland value.
