Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
4% of Uruguay's population lives in rural areas, according to the 2023 Census (Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay, 2024).
USD 1,741 million in losses suffered by Uruguay's agricultural sector due to the 2022-2023 water deficit, equivalent to 3% of the recent average GDP (Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay, 2024).
50% of the Earth's land surface is covered by grasslands, which consist of grasses, herbaceous plants and shrubs, and are used as grazing by livestock and wildlife (UNCCD, 2024).
0.65 or less is the aridity index of many drylands where grasslands are located, characterized by water scarcity (UNCCD, 2024).
16% of world food production and 70% of food for domestic herbivores comes from grasslands, mainly in Africa and South America (UNCCD, 2024).
10% of the world's meat production comes from pastoralism, which is practiced in more than 100 countries and supports 200 million households (UNCCD, 2024).
12% of the world's grasslands, equivalent to 9.5 million km², are protected (UNCCD, 2024).
30% of the global carbon pool is in grasslands (UNCCD, 2024).
33% of South America's land area is covered by grasslands (UNCCD, 2024).
2.29 million km² of South America are savannas, between 8% and 10% of its global extension (UNCCD, 2024).
