Global population is projected to continue increasing until 2100. Even in the absence

of increasing incomes, feeding a growing population will require more land, more

machinery, more agricultural inputs, and continued innovation in agricultural technology.

The relationship between increased agricultural production and environmental

degradation is a central challenge to human well-being. This article compiles available

evidence on the relationship between agriculture and the environment, focusing on the

tropics, where potential tradeoffs between food production and environmental quality

are particularly acute because much larger shares of the population depend upon agriculture

for work and subsistence. While our main focus is on land use, where applicable

we also touch on associated environmental services, such as soil and air quality and attempt

to catalog policies that highlight synergies and tradeoffs between agricultural

livelihoods and environmental quality.

Review of Environmental Economics and Policy 2025

Jennifer Alix-Garcia, Juliano Assunção, Teevrat Garg, Prakash Mishra, Fanny Moffette.