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Heterogeneous pattern in land use

According to the definition of the EU, utilised agricultural area (UAA) includes: Arable land including temporary grassing and fallow and green manure, permanent grassland, land under permanent crops (e.g. fruit and grapes), crops under glass and other utilised agricultural areas. Due to different reasons, in DE alpine pastures operated by cooperatives, in FR fallow land areas, in AT unused permanent grassland and in CH summer grazing areas ("Sömmerungsweiden") are not contained in the UAA or respectively not registered by the agricultural censuses. In particularly, the German alpine pastures of cooperatives and the Swiss summer grazing areas are relevant when investigating areas. Therefore these areas were integrated in the UAA and the permanent grassland.

Between 1980 and 2000 utilised agricultural area shrank by 13% (see Map below). This is comparative to the total Slovenian Convention area. Agricultural activity is retreating from area especially strongly from Italy (down 26%) and Slovenia (down 34%). Land abandonment goes hand in hand here with the decline in agricultural production.
In the same period the trend runs in the opposite direction in France and Switzerland, where the total land use has slightly increased due to newly cultivated or reclaimed farming land.

Arable land/UAA (%): 2000 (565 KB)
Permanent grassland/UAA (%): 2000 (536 KB)
UAA/farm (ha): 2000 (615 KB)
UAA/total area (%): 2000 (660 kB)
Development of permanent grassland (%): 1980-2000 (1864 KB)