Global maps of cropland extent and change show accelerated cropland expansion in the twenty-first century

Abstract Spatiotemporally consistent data on global cropland extent is essential for tracking progress towards sustainable food production. However, the per-capita annual cropland NPP increased by 3.5% as a result of intensified agricultural land use.

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• 1 In the present study, we present an analysis of global cropland area change for the first two decades of the twenty-first century derived from satellite data time-series.
• 2 We estimate that, in 2019, the cropland area was 1,244 Mha with a corresponding total annual net primary production (NPP) of 5.5 Pg C year −1 .
• 3 From 2003 to 2019, cropland area increased by 9% and cropland NPP by 25%, primarily due to agricultural expansion in Africa and South America.

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