PLOWPRINT TWO-THOUSAND & TWENTY-FOUR

The 2024 Plowprint report by WWF International tracks the cumulative footprint of cropland conversion in the Great Plains. In 2022, approximately 1.9 million acres of grasslands were converted to croplands across the US and Canada. While this is a slight improvement over the 10-year average of 2.6 million acres, the report emphasizes that current levels of loss remain unacceptable. The analysis highlights that 55% of Great Plains land remains intact, with Tribal lands showing higher conservation rates at 80%. The report advocates for strengthening the Farm Bill, expanding the Sodsaver provision, and reforming biofuels policies to reduce incentives for grassland conversion.

• In 2022, approximately 1.9 million acres of grasslands were converted to croplands across the US and Canadian portions of the Great Plains, which is a slight improvement from the 10-year average of 2.6 million acres per year.
• The Northern Great Plains (NGP) saw 480,000 acres converted in 2022, a figure lower than its 10-year average of about 630,000 acres per year. In this region, 70% of the land remains intact.
• Across the Great Plains, 55% of the land remains intact, while Native Nations have a disproportionately positive impact on conservation, with 80% of Tribal lands remaining as intact grasslands.
• In 2022, 220,000 acres of cropland across the Great Plains were eliminated for development, exceeding the 10-year average of approximately 175,000 acres per year.
• The top four breakout crops for lands converted in 2022 across the Great Plains were wheat (37%), corn (11%), canola (11%), and soy (9%).
• The report recommends strengthening the Sodsaver provision by making newly cultivated native sod ineligible for crop insurance premium subsidies for 10 years and expanding its protections nationwide.
• The use of neonicotinoid seed treatments in commodity row-crops harms pollinators; it is estimated that nearly 100% of non-organic corn and over 60% of non-organic soy in the US are treated with these pesticides.

APA

WWF International (2024). PLOWPRINT TWO-THOUSAND & TWENTY-FOUR. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/801/8mq6fdcmt4_PlowprintReport_2024_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. PLOWPRINT TWO-THOUSAND & TWENTY-FOUR. 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/801/8mq6fdcmt4_PlowprintReport_2024_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=PLOWPRINT TWO-THOUSAND & TWENTY-FOUR |date=2024 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/801/8mq6fdcmt4_PlowprintReport_2024_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2024plowprint, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{PLOWPRINT TWO-THOUSAND \& TWENTY-FOUR}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/801/8mq6fdcmt4_PlowprintReport_2024_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }