Agriculture and cropland data is essential for food security analysis, land use planning, and environmental modeling. Here’s a guide to the best free global and regional cropland datasets available for GIS users.
Global Cropland Extent — GFSAD30
The GFSAD30 dataset from NASA provides a global 30m resolution cropland mask distinguishing agricultural from non-agricultural land. Derived from Landsat imagery, it offers the highest-resolution free global cropland layer available.
- Coverage: Global (excluding Antarctica)
- Resolution: 30m
- License: Free open access
- Best for: Cropland vs. non-cropland classification
Global Irrigation Areas — FAO GMIA
The FAO Global Map of Irrigation Areas shows the percentage of each grid cell equipped for irrigation at ~10km resolution. It’s the standard reference for global irrigation infrastructure mapping.
- Coverage: Global
- Resolution: 5 arc-minutes (~10km)
- License: Free open access
- Best for: Irrigation extent and water management studies
Crop Production — SPAM
The SPAM (Spatial Production Allocation Model) from IFPRI provides global gridded crop production, area harvested, and yield data for 42 crop types at 10km resolution.
- Coverage: Global
- Crops: 42 types including wheat, rice, maize, soybeans
- Variables: Production, area, yield
- Best for: Crop-specific mapping and food supply chain analysis
US-Specific — USDA Cropland Data Layer
The USDA Cropland Data Layer (CDL) provides annual 30m crop-specific land cover for the continental US with over 100 crop types, updated annually since 1997.
- Coverage: Contiguous US
- Resolution: 30m
- Best for: US crop type mapping and agricultural policy analysis
High-Resolution Cereals — WorldCereal
The WorldCereal project from ESA provides global 10m cereal crop maps from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, covering maize, wheat, and other cereals.
- Coverage: Global (major agricultural regions)
- Resolution: 10m
- Best for: High-resolution cereal crop mapping
Tips for Working with Cropland Data
- Start with GFSAD30 for a quick global baseline of cropland extent.
- Use SPAM or WorldCereal when you need crop-specific rather than just cropland/non-cropland data.
- Combine with climate data from the Climate & Weather category to analyze growing conditions.
- All processing is local — use GeoDataViewer Studio to inspect and combine these layers directly in your browser.