Summary: Professor Eric Lambin started his career working with satellite images to examine patterns of land use change, and emphasizes that understanding the patterns requires going into the field and talking to the farmers and locals using the land. He also discusses how globalization and international trade can drive land use change in unexpected ways. Finally, Professor Lambin explains the concept of potentially arable cropland (PAC) and the relevance of “peak land” in the context of the Anthropocene, especially for policy makers.
