The United Nations estimates that by 2050 the global population will reach nine billion. If we continue to produce food the way we do today, this growth will require an additional 270 million acres of farmland — equivalent to 2.5 times the area of California. However, the current trend in many areas is going in the opposite direction, with three million acres of agricultural land going out of production in the U.S. each year.
New farmland 2.5 times the area of California will be required to feed our growing global population.[1]