Is over 60% of Florida under conservation or used for agriculture?

About 47% of Florida’s 36 million acres is devoted to agriculture or natural conservation, according to a 2024 University of Florida study.

In a Nov. 10 Substack article by Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, he wrote that more than 60% of Florida is under conservation or utilized for agriculture. Kruse made this claim to prove that Florida isn’t being over-developed, and opponents of development are leaning on incorrect information. 

When asked where he found his data, Kruse told Suncoast Searchlight that “he couldn’t find a specific data point” and “it was just an attempt to show it the best I could as a quick stat point.”

Despite Kruse’s unchecked stats, Florida does place well in agricultural rankings. It ranked first in the nation, according to the USDA, production for sugarcane, floriculture and watermelons in 2023, and ranked 13th in cattle production, per the Florida Beef Council.