The Midwest has lost 1.6 million acres of productive farmland since 2001, largely to development, a new study from the University of Illinois has found.
Examining farmland loss across eight midwestern states, researchers found that 55% was lost to development and urban sprawl.
Iowa saw the largest proportion of agricultural land loss due to development (90%). Illinois lost 155,653 acres in total, the largest amount of acres lost. The study found that urban proximity plays a major role in farmland conversion. Across the eight states, 81% of agricultural land lost to development occurred within Metropolitan Statistical Areas or MSAs.
MSAs are defined as geographic areas that consist of a core city with a population of at least 50,000, and that have strong economic and social connections between the core city and surrounding communities. Across the eight states included in the study, 85 MSAs are identified in total.
The study concluded that “if a desire exists to reduce the loss of agricultural land to development, it must address the expansion of large urban areas.”
Read the University of Illinois study in full here.
