The Mediterranean region is characterised by marked differences in agricultural systems. In North African countries, irrigated farming predominates, having developed as a response to arid climatic conditions and water scarcity. In European Union countries, by contrast, agricultural policies are more focused on sustainability, with measures aimed at the efficient management of resources and the protection of the environment.
A focus on the components of agricultural land (arable land and permanent cropland), evaluating sustainable practices (fertiliser consumption, methane and nitrous oxide emissions), and finally some composite indexes on animal, plant and food production.
Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land)
Agricultural methane emissions (thousand metric tons of CH4 equivalent)
Agricultural nitrous oxide emissions (thousand metric tons of N2O equivalent)
Livestock production index (2014-2016 = 100)
Crop production index (2014-2016 = 100)
Food production index (2014-2016 = 100)
area_code
ordgeo
Countries
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
2023
2023
2023
Portugal
39,197.6
42.8
10.2
9.5
116.3
5,270.0
1,790.0
104.8
137.0
123.2
A
1
Spain
266,633.6
53.4
23.4
10.2
110.6
27,350.0
13,400.0
114.2
85.2
96.0
A
2
France
283,044.7
51.7
34.1
1.9
119.0
42,510.0
25,410.0
91.5
98.8
95.4
A
3
Italy
130,007.8
44.0
24.0
8.1
113.9
23,190.0
9,810.0
100.5
89.6
93.4
A
4
Slovenia
6,107.2
30.3
8.9
2.7
215.8
1,110.0
500.0
103.3
81.7
95.1
A
5
Croatia
14,480.0
25.9
15.2
1.4
188.6
1,350.0
1,060.0
92.0
84.7
87.5
A
6
Greece
57,120.0
44.3
14.1
8.0
146.7
4,090.0
2,820.0
94.6
95.5
95.1
A
7
Malta
87.5
27.3
24.4
3.0
100.6
60.0
20.0
95.2
52.7
74.8
A
8
Cyprus
1,230.4
13.3
10.3
2.8
127.7
220.0
210.0
121.7
81.3
107.3
A
9
Serbia
34,690.0
41.2
30.9
2.5
141.4
3,380.0
2,870.0
104.5
104.0
104.2
B
10
Kosovo
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
B
11
Bosnia and Herzegovina
22,630.0
44.2
19.7
2.1
59.3
1,400.0
750.0
75.2
122.5
106.7
B
12
Montenegro
2,540.0
18.9
0.7
0.4
191.0
280.0
80.0
107.6
84.1
98.1
B
13
North Macedonia
12,570.0
49.8
16.5
1.6
44.7
740.0
310.0
77.1
82.1
80.5
B
14
Albania
11,356.0
41.5
21.8
3.2
38.4
1,620.0
640.0
77.8
115.7
99.3
B
15
Turkiye
384,820.0
50.0
26.2
4.8
114.6
28,020.0
26,040.0
134.7
123.3
127.6
C
16
Syrian Arab Republic
148,483.3
80.2
23.8
5.6
6.4
3,980.0
2,320.0
102.7
116.8
112.3
C
17
Lebanon
6,793.0
66.4
13.6
13.7
121.2
280.0
440.0
110.7
96.5
99.8
C
18
Jordan
9,225.2
10.4
2.3
0.9
98.2
670.0
540.0
134.2
98.5
111.8
C
19
Israel
6,385.7
29.5
17.2
4.7
265.4
730.0
790.0
115.5
95.0
107.2
C
20
West Bank and Gaza
3,912.0
64.9
7.0
11.8
372.0
..
..
102.7
130.8
119.0
C
21
Egypt, Arab Rep.
40,580.0
4.1
3.1
1.0
538.0
12,060.0
12,460.0
116.7
112.6
113.7
D
22
Libya
153,500.0
8.7
1.0
0.2
16.3
1,860.0
1,170.0
118.5
99.8
106.0
D
23
Tunisia
97,005.0
62.4
18.2
13.6
52.1
2,290.0
2,240.0
105.1
105.1
105.1
D
24
Algeria
413,101.2
17.3
3.2
0.4
20.7
8,010.0
5,020.0
104.5
123.3
116.6
D
25
Morocco
302,910.0
67.9
16.8
4.0
53.5
8,350.0
6,490.0
102.1
94.0
96.6
D
26
Agricultural land (sq. km)
KosovoNo data available
Agricultural land (% of land area)
KosovoNo data available
Arable land (% of land area)
KosovoNo data available
Permanent cropland (% of land area)
KosovoNo data available
Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land)
KosovoNo data available
IsraelLatest available data: 2021
West Bank and GazaLatest available data: 2021
Agricultural methane emissions (thousand metric tons of CH4 equivalent)
KosovoNo data available
West Bank and GazaNo data available
Agricultural nitrous oxide emissions (thousand metric tons of N2O equivalent)
KosovoNo data available
West Bank and GazaNo data available
Livestock production index (2014-2016 = 100)
KosovoNo data available
Crop production index (2014-2016 = 100)
KosovoNo data available
Food production index (2014-2016 = 100)
KosovoNo data available
Some highlighted topics
Healthy, sustainable and inclusive food systems are key to agricultural progress in Mediterranean countries. European and international strategies — such as the New Agenda for the Mediterranean and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — are increasingly focusing on climate change mitigation, emissions reduction and more responsible management of natural resources.
The Mediterranean region is characterized by highly diverse agricultural systems. In North African countries, irrigated crops prevail, often necessary to cope with arid climatic conditions; in contrast, European Union Member States have adopted more sustainability-oriented policies, with an increase in environmentally friendly agricultural practices. This diversity requires differentiated approaches that can respond to specific local needs and promote a shared transition towards more sustainable agricultural models.
Agricultural areas
Compared to the total agricultural land in the Mediterranean area — approximately 2.45 million km² — North Africa has the largest share, with over 40% (more than 1 million km²). This is followed by the countries of the European Union with approximately 32%, the Middle East with 23% and, finally, the Western Balkans, which represent a very small share of around 3%.
Looking at the proportion of agricultural land within individual countries, significant differences emerge. In the European Union, Spain and France have the highest proportions, both over 50%, while Italy stands at around 44%. In the Western Balkans, Serbia and Bosnia stand out, with significant absolute values and proportions exceeding 40%. In the Middle East, Syria has an extremely high share of around 80%, followed by Turkey with 50%. In North Africa, Algeria, despite having the largest agricultural area in absolute terms in the entire region, has a relatively low incidence on its total area (17.3%), while Morocco — the third largest country in terms of agricultural area in the area — has a very high share even in relative terms (67.9%).
In summary, the Middle East is the macro-area with the highest incidence of agricultural land in relation to total territory (over 50%), followed by the European Union (around 48%). The Western Balkans show a slightly lower percentage, while North Africa stands out with a significantly lower percentage of around 18%.
Figure 1 - Agricultural area by type of cultivation. 2022 (% of total area)
...
Over the last twenty years, the proportion of agricultural land in relation to total land area has remained stable overall in most of the main countries in the Mediterranean region. The most significant decreases have been recorded in Italy, Spain, Greece, Serbia and Palestine, while significant increases have been seen in Slovenia, Croatia, Syria and Lebanon.
Arable crops are the main component of Mediterranean agricultural land: in the European Union, the Western Balkans and the Middle East, they account for around a quarter of the total area, while in North Africa their share is very low, at around 4%.
Within the EU, Spain and Italy have the highest proportions of both arable land and woody crops in relation to their total land area: the former exceeds 20%, while woody crops range between 8% and 10%. France, on the other hand, stands out for its particularly high proportion of arable crops, which exceed 30%, the highest in the entire Mediterranean region.
Within the EU, Spain and Italy have the highest proportions of both arable land and woody crops in relation to their total land area: the former exceeds 20% slightly, while woody crops range between 8% and 10%. France, on the other hand, stands out for its particularly high proportion of arable land, which exceeds 30%, the highest in the entire Mediterranean region.
In the Western Balkans, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania have significant shares of arable land, ranging from 20% to 30%. In the Middle East, similar values are recorded for Turkey and Syria, where arable land covers about a quarter of the territory. On the North African side, Tunisia and Morocco show significant incidences, albeit slightly below 20%.
As regards woody crops, Lebanon, Tunisia and Palestine are the countries with the highest proportions in the Mediterranean area, all above 10%. Among the EU countries, Spain remains in a prominent position with a share of 10%.
Sustainability in agriculture
To promote a genuine ecological transition, sustainable agriculture must reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers and limit greenhouse gas emissions. In the Mediterranean region, fertilizer consumption per hectare of arable land has been on a downward trend since 2007–2008, albeit with varying intensity between countries and macro-areas.
Within the European Union, Portugal is the only exception, recording an increase in fertilizer use over the twenty-year period. Spain shows substantial stability, while France and Italy show a more virtuous path, with a steady reduction in consumption. France has gone from 227.7 kg per hectare in 2001 to 119.0 kg in 2022; Italy from 168.6 to 113.9 kg.
In the Western Balkans, Montenegro stands out for a sharp increase in fertilizer use since 2013, followed, however, by a reduction in 2022. In the Middle East, Palestine has high and growing consumption levels, while Lebanon shows a more sustainable trend, with a significant decrease over the period considered.
Finally, in North Africa, Egypt represents the most critical case: over the twenty-year period, it has maintained average annual values above 500 kg per hectare of arable land, placing it at the highest levels in the Mediterranean area.
Figure 2 - Methane and nitrous oxide emissions in agriculture - 2022 (thousands of metric tons CO2
equivalent)
...
Similar to what has been observed for fertilizer consumption, agricultural emissions — consisting mainly of methane and nitrous oxide — are also a significant source of greenhouse gases (Figure 2). In absolute terms, the countries with the highest emissions generally coincide with the largest countries in the Mediterranean area, although they show different trends over time.
Within the European Union, France has particularly high levels in 2022: methane emissions are close to 45,000 thousand tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, while nitrous oxide emissions are around 25,000. However, both indicators are down compared to the beginning of the period observed. Italy and Spain record lower values and show a more stable trend: methane emissions remain virtually constant between 2001 and 2022, while nitrous oxide emissions show a slight decline.
In the Middle East, Turkey stands out, with high emissions of both methane — close to 28,000 thousand tonnes — and nitrous oxide, reaching 26,000 in 2022. Both figures have increased by about 50% compared to 2001.
Among North African countries, Egypt continues to have the most critical levels: in 2022, methane emissions will exceed 12,000 thousand tonnes (down from around 16,000 in 2001), while nitrous oxide emissions will remain stable at around 12,000 thousand tonnes throughout the twenty-year period.
Food production, plant and animal
The food production index developed by the World Bank measures changes in food production volumes — including food crops considered edible and containing nutrients, calculated as price-weighted quantities — relative to a base period (2014–2016 = 100). Its dynamics reflect political and economic choices, as well as technological progress in the agricultural sector.
In European Union countries, there is a downward trend in food production between 2001 and 2023. The exceptions are Portugal, Spain and Croatia, which show an increase in the index: Portugal from 93.2 to 123.2, Spain from 92.3 to 96.0 and Croatia from 76.3 to 87.5 (Figure 3). In contrast, the North Africa macro-region shows a general increase in the index, reflecting the growing importance of food production. In the Middle East, two distinct patterns emerge: Palestine remains fairly stable at around 120, while the other countries show a marked upward trend.
As regards the crop production index (which includes all crops except fodder crops), within the EU there has been a particularly significant increase in Portugal, rising from 87.7 to 137.0 between 2001 and 2023. In contrast, Malta, Cyprus and Italy have experienced the most pronounced declines. In the Western Balkans, Albania recorded strong growth, rising from 53.2 to 115.7, while in North Africa all countries showed positive changes, especially Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
The livestock production index (including meat, milk and dairy products) shows more irregular fluctuations in EU countries, with generally moderate variations, except for Spain and Croatia, where there has been a significant increase over the twenty-year period. In contrast, the trend is markedly expansive in all macro-regions of the Western Balkans, the Middle East (with the sole exception of Palestine) and North Africa.
Figure 3 - Food production index by macro-region - 2004/2023 (2014-2016 =100)
...
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Metadata
Indicators
Definition
Percentage of the land area devoted to arable land, permanent crops and permanent pastures.
Sources
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Methodology
Data are collected through the FAO Questionnaire on Land Use, Irrigation and Agricultural Practices, based on the FAO Land Use Classification.
Notes
FAO's classification of land use is aligned with the United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA), the United Nations Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES) and the World Census of Agriculture. It is also consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Land Use Classes for Countries' Relations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A mapping of the FAO, SEEA, World Census of Agriculture and IPCC classifications is provided in the FAO questionnaire.
Presence in policy-oriented statistical systems
SDG Goal 15, indicator 15.1.1; ENP-South Eurostat Data Browser: Agriculture and Fisheries Area
Percentage of land area of arable land, which includes land defined by FAO as temporary cropland (dual cropping areas are counted only once), temporary meadows for mowing or grazing, land planted with vegetable gardens and temporary fallow land. Land abandoned due to itinerant cultivation is excluded.
Sources
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Methodology
Data are collected through the FAO Questionnaire on Land Use, Irrigation and Agricultural Practices, based on the FAO Land Use Classification.
Notes
FAO's classification of land use is aligned with the United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA), the United Nations Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES) and the World Census of Agriculture. It is also consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Land Use Classes for Countries' Relations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A mapping of the FAO, SEEA, World Census of Agriculture and IPCC classifications is provided in the FAO questionnaire.
Percentage of the earth's surface of permanent crops, i.e. those that occupy the land for long periods and do not need to be replanted after each harvest. This category includes land planted with flowering shrubs, fruit trees, walnuts and vines, but excludes land planted with timber trees.
Sources
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Methodology
Data are collected through the FAO Questionnaire on Land Use, Irrigation and Agricultural Practices, based on the FAO Land Use Classification.
Notes
FAO's classification of land use is aligned with the United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA), the United Nations Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES) and the World Census of Agriculture. It is also consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Land Use Classes for Countries' Relations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A mapping of the FAO, SEEA, World Census of Agriculture and IPCC classifications is provided in the FAO questionnaire.
Presence in policy-oriented statistical systems
SDG Goal 15, indicator 15.1.1; ENP-South Eurostat Data Browser: Agriculture and Fisheries Area
Value of livestock production in each year compared to the 2014-2016 base period. It includes meat and milk from all sources, dairy products such as cheese and eggs, honey, raw silk, wool, and hides.
Sources
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Methodology
The index is based on the sum of the quantities weighted by the price of various agricultural commodities produced, after deducting the quantities used as seeds and feed, weighted in a similar manner. The resulting aggregate therefore represents the production available for any use other than seeds and feed. All national, regional and global indices are calculated using the Laspeyres formula. The production quantities of each commodity are weighted by the average international commodity prices for 2014-2016 and added up for each year. To obtain the index, the aggregate for a given year is divided by the average aggregate for the base period 2014-2016. Since FAO indices are based on the concept of agriculture as a single enterprise, seed and feed quantities are subtracted from production data to avoid double counting, once in production data and once in the crops or livestock produced from them. Deductions for seeds (in the case of eggs, for hatching) and for feed for livestock and poultry apply to both domestic and imported products. They only concern primary agricultural products intended for animal feed (e.g. maize, potatoes, milk, etc.). Processed and semi-processed feeds such as bran, oilcake, meal and molasses have been completely excluded from the calculations at all stages. It should be noted that in the calculation of agricultural, food and non-food production indices, all primary intermediate inputs of agricultural origin are deducted. However, for the indices of any other commodity group, only inputs originating within the same group are deducted; thus, only seeds are removed from the 'crops' group and all crop subgroups, such as cereals, oilseeds, etc., and both feed and seeds originating within the livestock sector (e.g. feed for milk, hatching eggs) are removed from the 'livestock products' group. For the two main livestock sub-groups, namely meat and milk, only feed originating from the respective sub-group is removed. Indices that take into account deductions for feed and seeds are referred to as 'net'. Indices calculated without deductions for feed and seeds are referred to as 'gross'. "International commodity prices" are used to avoid the use of exchange rates to obtain continental and world aggregates, and also to improve and facilitate international comparative analysis of productivity at the national level. These "international prices", expressed in so-called "international dollars", are derived using the Geary-Khamis formula for the agricultural sector. This method assigns a single "price" to each commodity. For example, a metric tonne of wheat has the same price regardless of the country in which it was produced. The currency unit in which prices are expressed does not affect the published indices. The products covered in the calculation of agricultural production indices are all crops and livestock products originating in each country. Virtually all products are covered, with the main exception being fodder crops.
Value of agricultural production in each year compared to the 2014-2016 base period. It includes all crops except forage crops.
Sources
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Methodology
The index is based on the sum of the quantities weighted by the price of various agricultural commodities produced, after deducting the quantities used as seeds and feed, weighted in a similar manner. The resulting aggregate therefore represents the production available for any use other than seeds and feed. All national, regional and global indices are calculated using the Laspeyres formula. The production quantities of each commodity are weighted by the average international commodity prices for 2014-2016 and added up for each year. To obtain the index, the aggregate for a given year is divided by the average aggregate for the base period 2014-2016. Since FAO indices are based on the concept of agriculture as a single enterprise, seed and feed quantities are subtracted from production data to avoid double counting, once in production data and once in the crops or livestock produced from them. Deductions for seeds (in the case of eggs, for hatching) and for feed for livestock and poultry apply to both domestic and imported products. They only concern primary agricultural products intended for animal feed (e.g. maize, potatoes, milk, etc.). Processed and semi-processed feeds such as bran, oilcake, meal and molasses have been completely excluded from the calculations at all stages. It should be noted that in the calculation of agricultural, food and non-food production indices, all primary intermediate inputs of agricultural origin are deducted. However, for the indices of any other commodity group, only inputs originating within the same group are deducted; thus, only seeds are removed from the 'crops' group and all crop subgroups, such as cereals, oilseeds, etc., and both feed and seeds originating within the livestock sector (e.g. feed for milk, hatching eggs) are removed from the 'livestock products' group. For the two main livestock sub-groups, namely meat and milk, only feed originating from the respective sub-group is removed. Indices that take into account deductions for feed and seeds are referred to as 'net'. Indices calculated without deductions for feed and seeds are referred to as 'gross'. "International commodity prices" are used to avoid the use of exchange rates to obtain continental and world aggregates, and also to improve and facilitate international comparative analysis of productivity at the national level. These "international prices", expressed in so-called "international dollars", are derived using the Geary-Khamis formula for the agricultural sector. This method assigns a single "price" to each commodity. For example, a metric tonne of wheat has the same price regardless of the country in which it was produced. The currency unit in which prices are expressed does not affect the published indices. The products covered in the calculation of agricultural production indices are all crops and livestock products originating in each country. Virtually all products are covered, with the main exception being fodder crops.
Value of food production each year compared to the 2014-2016 base period. It includes food crops that are considered edible and contain nutrients. Coffee and tea are excluded because, although edible, they have no nutritional value.
Sources
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Methodology
The index is based on the sum of the quantities weighted by the price of various agricultural commodities produced, after deducting the quantities used as seeds and feed, weighted in a similar manner. The resulting aggregate therefore represents the production available for any use other than seeds and feed. All national, regional and global indices are calculated using the Laspeyres formula. The production quantities of each commodity are weighted by the average international commodity prices for 2014-2016 and added up for each year. To obtain the index, the aggregate for a given year is divided by the average aggregate for the base period 2014-2016. Since FAO indices are based on the concept of agriculture as a single enterprise, seed and feed quantities are subtracted from production data to avoid double counting, once in production data and once in the crops or livestock produced from them. Deductions for seeds (in the case of eggs, for hatching) and for feed for livestock and poultry apply to both domestic and imported products. They only concern primary agricultural products intended for animal feed (e.g. maize, potatoes, milk, etc.). Processed and semi-processed feeds such as bran, oilcake, meal and molasses have been completely excluded from the calculations at all stages. It should be noted that in the calculation of agricultural, food and non-food production indices, all primary intermediate inputs of agricultural origin are deducted. However, for the indices of any other commodity group, only inputs originating within the same group are deducted; thus, only seeds are removed from the 'crops' group and all crop subgroups, such as cereals, oilseeds, etc., and both feed and seeds originating within the livestock sector (e.g. feed for milk, hatching eggs) are removed from the 'livestock products' group. For the two main livestock sub-groups, namely meat and milk, only feed originating from the respective sub-group is removed. Indices that take into account deductions for feed and seeds are referred to as 'net'. Indices calculated without deductions for feed and seeds are referred to as 'gross'. "International commodity prices" are used to avoid the use of exchange rates to obtain continental and world aggregates, and also to improve and facilitate international comparative analysis of productivity at the national level. These "international prices", expressed in so-called "international dollars", are derived using the Geary-Khamis formula for the agricultural sector. This method assigns a single "price" to each commodity. For example, a metric tonne of wheat has the same price regardless of the country in which it was produced. The currency unit in which prices are expressed does not affect the published indices. The products covered in the calculation of agricultural production indices are all crops and livestock products originating in each country. Virtually all products are covered, with the main exception being fodder crops.
Amount of plant nutrients used per unit of arable land. Fertilising products include nitrogen, potassium and phosphate fertilisers (including natural phosphate). Traditional nutrients - animal and plant fertilizers - are not included.
Sources
World Bank Development Indicators elaborations on Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data
Methodology
Fertilizer consumption measures the amount of nutrients for plants and is calculated as production plus imports minus exports.
Notes
FAO has revised the time series for fertilizer consumption and irrigation since 2002. In the previous version, the data was based on the total fertilizer consumption, while in the recent version, they are based on the nutrients contained in the fertilizers. Some countries compile fertilizer data based on the calendar year, while others compile it based on the crop year (July-June). Previous editions of this indicator, Fertilizer Consumption (100 grams per hectare of arable land), reported data on the basis of the year of cultivation, but this edition uses the calendar year, as adopted by FAO. The data are collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through annual questionnaires. FAO tries to impose standard definitions and reporting methods, but complete consistency across countries and over time cannot be guaranteed. Secondary sources include official country data from national ministries websites, national publications and country data reported by various international organisations. Arable land includes land defined by FAO as temporary cropland (areas of dual cropping are counted only once), temporary mowing or grazing meadows, land planted with vegetable gardens or gardens, and temporarily fallow land. Land abandoned due to itinerant cultivation is excluded. Because some chemicals used for fertilizers have other industrial applications, consumption data can overestimate the amount available to crops.
Methane emissions from animals, animal waste, rice production, burning of agricultural waste (non-energy, on-site) and burning in the savannah.
Sources
World Resources Institute (WRI)
Methodology
To estimate emissions, countries party to the Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) use complex, state-of-the-art methodologies recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Methane emissions are largely derived from agricultural activities, industrially produced landfills and wastewater treatment, and other sources such as tropical forest fires and other vegetation.
Notes
Emissions are usually expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents using the global warming potential, which allows the actual contributions of different gases to be compared. One kilogram of methane is 21 times more effective at trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere than one kilogram of carbon dioxide within 100 years.
Nitrous oxide emissions from the use of fertilizers (synthetics and animal manure), animal waste management, burning of agricultural waste (non-energy, on-site), and savannah burning.
Sources
World Resources Institute (WRI)
Methodology
Nitrous oxide emissions of agricultural origin are those produced by the use of fertilizers (synthetic and of animal origin), animal waste management, the burning of agricultural waste (non-energy, on site) and the burning of the savannah, with reference to IPCC category 4 = Agriculture. They are expressed in CO2 equivalent using the GWP100 metric of the IPCC's Second Assessment Report and include nitrogen dioxide (N2O)
Notes
Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas, with an estimated atmospheric lifespan of 114 years, compared to 12 years for methane. The global warming potential per kilogram (GWP) of nitrous oxide is nearly 310 times that of carbon dioxide within 100 years. Emissions are usually expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents using the global warming potential, which allows the actual contributions of different gases to be compared.
Area devoted to arable land, permanent crops and permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by FAO as temporary cropland (dual crop areas are counted only once), temporary meadows for mowing or grazing, land planted with vegetable gardens or gardens, and temporarily fallow land. Land abandoned due to itinerant cultivation is excluded. Permanent crop land is grown with crops that occupy the land for long periods and do not need to be replanted after each harvest. This category includes land planted with flowering shrubs, fruit trees, walnuts and vines, but excludes land planted with timber trees. Permanent pastures are land that is used for five or more years for fodder, including natural and cultivated crops.
Sources
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Methodology
Data are collected through the FAO Questionnaire on Land Use, Irrigation and Agricultural Practices, based on the FAO Land Use Classification.
Notes
FAO's classification of land use is aligned with the United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA), the United Nations Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES) and the World Census of Agriculture. It is also consistent with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Land Use Classes for Countries' Relations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A mapping of the FAO, SEEA, World Census of Agriculture and IPCC classifications is provided in the FAO questionnaire.
