Question

agriculture of europe

Answer 1

The agricultural sector is one of the main land users in Europe and thus shapes landscapes in rural areas. It has various direct and indirect impacts on the environment and depends itself on natural resources. Patterns of agricultural production vary considerably across Europe and no general picture can be drawn. Emissions from agriculture arising from, for example, the use of fertilisers and pesticides, have decreased recently.
However, the pressures from agricultural production on the environment are still high in several regions of the EU. The primary function of agriculture remains food production, but it also contributes to, for example, energy production.

Considering both agriculture's contribution to food production and its externalties, it has a key role to play in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals — in particular those related to ending hunger and food security and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Agriculture in Europe is challenged by — among other things — land take, leading to a reduction in agricultural land, and climate change.

Context

Agricultural land plays an important role in land use patterns across the EU. Grass- and cropland together make up 39 % of Europe's land cover (EEA, 2017a). However, the utilised agricultural area (UAA) as a share of total area varies between EU Member States — from around 60 % in Denmark to around 7 % in Sweden and Finland (see DG AGRI, 2017, data from 2013).

The agricultural sector is a major user of natural resources and has a complex relationship with the environment (OECD, 2017). The early stages of agriculture expanded with the adoption of a sedentary lifestyle, crop plants and husbandry with as the Neolithic culture spread in Europe from around 6500 BC in Turkey and around 3000 BC in Scandinavia (Küster, 1999). It has shaped the cultural landscape ever since.

Over time, many factors, including environmental conditions, societal demands, economics, politics and innovation, have driven the development of the agricultural sector and subsequently the scenery in rural areas (Box 1). Agricultural production also influences people's lives and the environment.

Agriculture provides public and private goods — both material goods and intangible externalities (Vejre et al., 2007). These can also be classified into consumer products and production products (Köster, 2010). The latter include raw material for food, fodder and energy production.

 


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Answer 2

Answer:

Agricultural land plays an important role in land use patterns across the EU. Grassland and cropland together make up 39 % of Europe's land cover (EEA, 2017a). The agricultural sector is a major user of natural resources and has a complex relationship with the environment (OECD, 2017).