Agricultural land needs protection

Abstract

Since 1960, the amount of arable land per capita in the world has decreased from 0.41 to 0.21 ha. During recent decades, there has also been a significant increase in the impact of soil degradation. It is estimated that 5–10 million ha of agricultural land are abandoned every year as a result of soil degradation and the construction of buildings and infrastructure. The Nordic and Baltic countries have on average more arable land per capita and larger water resources than many other areas of the world. Land and water resources are expected to become gradually more critical, and Northern European arable land is likely to increase in importance in contributing to our basic food and bioenergy demands. It is important that these land resources are protected for future generations. Therefore, soil degradation and exploitation of arable land needs more attention from individuals, society and governments.