42
D. Kirschke et al.
Table 3.2 Permanent grassland in Germany, 2013–2018
Permanent grassland
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
1,000 ha
4,621.0 4,650.7 4,677.1 4,694.5 4,710.2 4,713.4
% of agricultural area used
27.7
27.8
28.0
28.2
28.2
28.3
Source Own compilation according to Statistisches Bundesamt (various years), Fachserie 3, Reihe
3.1.2
grassland shows that from 2013 onwards a slight but visible positive trend can be
observed (Table 3.2).
In sum, agricultural land use seems to be increasingly squeezed between various
non-agricultural land use demands. Whether or not these developments should be
restricted, and if so in which way, have become popular policy topics. The German
government (Bundesregierung) has claimed that the increase of areas for human
settlements and for transport infrastructure should not surpass 30 ha per day until
2030
1 (it has been 63 ha per day in 2014) (Die Bundesregierung 2016, pp. 158–159).
The German Farmers Association (Deutscher Bauernverband—DBV) argues that the
loss of agricultural land is still about 70 ha per day and demands a legal framework
for the conservation of agricultural areas (DBV et al. 2016, p. 2). Within agriculture,
the increase of arable land, at the cost of permanent grassland, has equally been
blamed by various actors (e.g. DAFA 2015, p. 11).
3.3 Ongoing and New Conflicts in Agriculture Land Use
The trends for agricultural land use in Germany in recent years indicate that there are
both ongoing as well as potentially new land use conflicts. These conflicts will probably result in changes on land markets. In what follows we will look into the development of land market prices first, and then turn to ongoing major conflicts between
agricultural land use and nature and natural resource protection. Furthermore, we
will focus on land use structure and concentration in German agriculture.
3.3.1 Rising Land Prices
Despite high demand for land and conflicts between different actors, land prices have
remained quite stable during the 90ies and at the beginning of the new millennium,
both in Western and Eastern Germany. Since 2007/08, however, land prices have
gone up considerably.
1 The Bundesregierung recently had to shift the objective year from 2020 to 2030 (Die
Bundesregierung 2016, p. 159).
D. Kirschke et al.
Table 3.2 Permanent grassland in Germany, 2013–2018
Permanent grassland
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
1,000 ha
4,621.0 4,650.7 4,677.1 4,694.5 4,710.2 4,713.4
% of agricultural area used
27.7
27.8
28.0
28.2
28.2
28.3
Source Own compilation according to Statistisches Bundesamt (various years), Fachserie 3, Reihe
3.1.2
grassland shows that from 2013 onwards a slight but visible positive trend can be
observed (Table 3.2).
In sum, agricultural land use seems to be increasingly squeezed between various
non-agricultural land use demands. Whether or not these developments should be
restricted, and if so in which way, have become popular policy topics. The German
government (Bundesregierung) has claimed that the increase of areas for human
settlements and for transport infrastructure should not surpass 30 ha per day until
2030
1 (it has been 63 ha per day in 2014) (Die Bundesregierung 2016, pp. 158–159).
The German Farmers Association (Deutscher Bauernverband—DBV) argues that the
loss of agricultural land is still about 70 ha per day and demands a legal framework
for the conservation of agricultural areas (DBV et al. 2016, p. 2). Within agriculture,
the increase of arable land, at the cost of permanent grassland, has equally been
blamed by various actors (e.g. DAFA 2015, p. 11).
3.3 Ongoing and New Conflicts in Agriculture Land Use
The trends for agricultural land use in Germany in recent years indicate that there are
both ongoing as well as potentially new land use conflicts. These conflicts will probably result in changes on land markets. In what follows we will look into the development of land market prices first, and then turn to ongoing major conflicts between
agricultural land use and nature and natural resource protection. Furthermore, we
will focus on land use structure and concentration in German agriculture.
3.3.1 Rising Land Prices
Despite high demand for land and conflicts between different actors, land prices have
remained quite stable during the 90ies and at the beginning of the new millennium,
both in Western and Eastern Germany. Since 2007/08, however, land prices have
gone up considerably.
1 The Bundesregierung recently had to shift the objective year from 2020 to 2030 (Die
Bundesregierung 2016, p. 159).