Arable land is any land that is capable of being plowed and used to grow crops. It is land that is worked regularly, generally under a system of crop rotation, and includes land under temporary agricultural crops, temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow (less than five years). Arable land is vulnerable to land degradation, and some types of un-arable land can be enriched to create useful land.

Here are some key points about arable land:

• Arable land is the land under temporary agricultural crops, temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow (less than five years).
• The abandoned land resulting from shifting cultivation is not included in this category.
• Arable land is rich in nutrient-dense soils, sunlight, and predictable temperatures, which is why it is used for crop production.
• Arable land can sometimes be cultivated from non-arable land by treating pastures to restore soil quality, or through the removal of forests.
• Arable land produces two crop types: annual and permanent.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in 2013, the worlds arable land amounted to 1.407 billion hectares, out of a total of 4.924 billion hectares of land used for agriculture.