Abstract: This paper uses the Eviews 8.0 software, Chow test, ADF test, cointegration analysis, AIC criterion, Granger causality test and other econometric methods to analyze the relationship between cultivated land area change and economic growth in Jiangsu from 1978 to 2009, and summarizes the characteristics of the relationship. The results showed that since 1978, the cultivated land area of Jiangsu and the economic development had experienced two stages: the first stage (1978 to 1991) was causality, in which the economic growth was mainly at the expense of the cultivated land; the second stage (1992 to 2009) was one- way causality, in this stage, the decrease of cultivated land resources provided land security for economic development, but the economic growth was not the reason of cultivated land resources change. For the longterm of 1978 to 2009, the economic growth and the change of cultivated land was a one- way causal relationship, namely, the quantity change of cultivated land had a positive impact on the economic development, but the economic development was not the reason for the decrease of cultivated land area. Finally, the paper puts forward suggestions on how to deal with the contradiction between cultivated land protection and economic development, which can provide certain references for future research on the related issues.