Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Use of Principal Components for Scaling Up Topographic Models to Map Soil Redistribution and Soil Organic Carbon
Published on: October 16, 2018
Global average socio-economic farm size may triple by 2100
Jiani Wang1,2, Yan Li3, Sheng Liu2
1State Key Laboratory of Lake and Watershed Science for Water Security, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.
None:
Farm size is vital for food production and environmental outcomes, yet global dynamics remain unclear. In this study, we introduce an indicator as 'socio-economic farm size' defined as the agricultural land area divided by the number of farms. Unlike purely geophysical measures, socio-economic farm size incorporates demographic, labor, and economic factors, providing a more holistic understanding of farm size dynamics. Our long-term dataset reveals a 15% decline in global average socio-economic farm size from 1970 to 2000, a 14% increase from 2000 to 2020, and may triple by 2100 under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 2 (middle pathway) scenario. While Europe, Northern America, and Oceania saw exponential growth in recent decades, regions like India and Sub-Saharan Africa experienced reductions. Future trends indicate widespread consolidation toward larger farms including in Asia and Africa, driven by declining rural populations. Our findings underscore the need for targeted policies to address the challenges and opportunities associated with farm consolidation, ensuring sustainable food production in a rapidly changing world.
Related Concept Videos
What is Climate?
Population Growth
Maximum Size of Aggregate
Global Climate Change
Cell Size
Surface Area
Cells can take in nutrients and water via diffusion through the plasma membrane itself or through specific channels in the membrane. The area of the membrane surrounding...
Sustainable Development

