Why does grazing livestock use such a large share of agricultural land?

Grazing livestock occupy a significant share of the world’s agricultural land—estimated at 40–50 percent of Earth's total land area as rangeland—primarily because these areas are often unsuited for intensive crop cultivation.1

Many rangelands consist of marginal or submarginal land where environmental conditions, such as soil quality or climate, do not support permanent, high-yield crop production. In contrast, converting such land to cropland for human-edible grains often yields significantly more food energy per hectare. However, because rangelands rely on native vegetation rather than intensive inputs like irrigation, seeding, and fertilizers, they remain the most viable use for vast, non-arable regions.12

While intensive animal farming requires large amounts of corn and soy for feed, grazing animals require fewer of these external inputs. Nevertheless, the extensive use of land for livestock is a major driver of biodiversity loss, as the destruction of wild land for farming and the pressures of overgrazing can degrade ecosystems and alter native plant communities.31