Abstract
The rapid development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) has raised public concerns about its land use and competition with agriculture. Using county-level data from 1997 to 2018, we find that on average, UOG development negatively affected crop acreage in the contiguous U.S. However, there exists significant regional heterogeneity. The relationship is positive in Southwestern region, U-shaped in Great Plains, and negative in Appalachia. There is significant difference in crop acreage between counties with and without UOG after 2008 in the contiguous U.S. and Great Plains. The reduction in crop acreage after 2008 was highest in Great Plains.