The FAO and LUC developed the Agro-Ecological Zoning (AEZ) system
for formulating 
and
testing rational land-use planning options on the basis of biophysical
limitations and potentials. The AEZ methodology provides a standardized
framework for characterizing climate, soil, and terrain conditions
relevant to agricultural production, and employs crop modeling and
environmental matching procedures to identify crop-specific limitations
of the land under different levels of inputs and management conditions.
Recent availability of digital global databases of climatic parameters,
topography, soil and terrain, vegetation, and population distribution
has allowed the expansion of assessments of AEZ crop suitability and
land productivity potentials to temperate and boreal environments.
GAEZ 2000 includes examples of land productivity quantifications, estimations of extents of land with rain-fed or irrigated cultivation potential, occurrences of environmental constraints to agricultural production, indications of potential "hot spots" of agricultural conversion, and likely geographical shifts of agricultural land potentials as a result of changing climate. GAEZ 2000 provides numerous downloadable maps and tables in graphic, GIS, and spreadsheet formats.
Responsible for this page:
Elisabeth Kawczynski
Last updated:
16 Oct 2009
Schlossplatz 1