Articles | Volume 18, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-7071-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-7071-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description article
| 
25 Sep 2026
Data description article |
| 25 Sep 2026
| 25 Sep 2026
Global 30 m annual cropland extent dynamics (2000–2024): a harmonized baseline of structural evolution and regional disparities
Yuanhong Liao
Department of Earth System Science, Institute for Global Change Studies, Ministry of Education Ecological Field Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Tsinghua Urban Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Shuang Chen
Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Yuqi Bai
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth System Science, Institute for Global Change Studies, Ministry of Education Ecological Field Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Tsinghua Urban Institute, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Jie Wang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Pengcheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518000, China
Peng Gong
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality and Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Short summary
To track changes in land used for crops, we used satellite observations to create annual global maps for 2000–2024 at a resolution of 30 m. The global area used for crops increased by about 30 million hectares. Expansion was concentrated in parts of Africa and South America, while many other regions showed stability or decline. These maps help track agricultural land use and support research on food security and environmental change.
To track changes in land used for crops, we used satellite observations to create annual global...
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