Mapping Export-Oriented Crop Production

The globalisation of agriculture is evident in the rising volumes and values of internationally traded agricultural products. Export growth has led to increasingly commercialised agricultural production, particularly in regions where a large share of produce is exported. However, the increasing share of exports in global agriculture has led to adverse environmental and societal outcomes that are of growing concern. We mapped the 12 most important export crops using a spatial allocation algorithm that combines global cropland maps with data on each crop’s suitability for export. The results reveal that export crops are concentrated in Latin America, the US, and Southeast Asia and show the growing focus on a few high-value crops. Anticipating the spatial imprint of export-oriented agriculture helps to pinpoint the telecoupled land-use footprints of global consumption patterns.