Topsoil Erosion

Two hundred years ago, most of America's croplands had at least 21 inches of topsoil; today, it is down to around six inches. The U.S. lost 6 million acres of prime farmland between 1982 and 1992—an area roughly equivalent the state of Vermont. Four of those six million acres were lost to urban and suburban expansion. The other 2 million acres, or 1 billion tons of topsoil, were lost through erosion caused by deforestation, unsustainable farming practices and animal grazing. Worldwide, we lose 25 billion tons of topsoil per year.