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In geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to plough) is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted only once), 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. Data for arable land are not meant to indicate the amount of land that is potentially cultivable. As such, it has to be distinguished from "agricultural land", which, according to FAO definition, additionally includes land under permanent crops as well as permanent pastures. In 2008, the world's total arable land amounted to 13'805'153 km2, whereas 48'836'976 km2 was classified as "agricultural land".
Although constrained by land mass and topology, the amount of arable land, both regionally and globally, fluctuates due to human and climatic factors such as irrigation, deforestation, desertification, terracing, landfill, and urban sprawl. Researchers study the impact of these changes on food production.
The most productive portion of arable land is that from sediments left by rivers and the sea in geological times. In modern times, rivers do not generally flood as often in areas employing flood control.