Content | Umweltbundesamt

Organic products taste good, and make a positive contribution to human health and environmental protection. Organic farming is a highly resource-conserving and environmentally-friendly activity that is oriented towards the principle of sustainability. It also aims to keep animals in a manner conducive to their welfare. read more

Tilling prepares fields for crop plant seeding, with the goal of creating optimal conditions for crop growth. But unfortunately, plows and the plowing process can have untoward effects such as soil erosion and compaction. read more

Compost and sewage sludge contain valuable nutrients and humus substances that farmers traditionally use as organic fertilizer so as to reduce mineral fertilizer use. But unfortunately, compost and in particular sewage sludge, contain pollutants such as chemicals, heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues that are hazardous to the environment and human health. read more

Germany’s farming sector uses the largest amount of land, but is at the same a lynchpin of our economy – one that provides a reliable food supply and produces sustainable raw materials. The farming sector also plays a key role when it comes to preservation and development of the man-made environment. But increasingly intensive farming brings with it a host of eco-unfriendly effects. read more

Intensive livestock farming is a key agricultural sector in Germany, but one that unfortunately generates ammonia emissions, odours and dust that are hazardous to the environment and a nuisance to persons living in close proximity to livestock farms. read more

Farmland provides a habitat for myriad plants and animals, in that fields and pastures are sources of food and provide a safe haven for rest and breeding. But unfortunately, the growing trend toward using large tracts of farmland for monocultures greatly reduces the availability of such habitats, with the result that farm area biodiversity has been on the wane for many years. read more

In order to develop and grow, apart from adequate water, plants need nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium and trace elements such as copper and zinc. Only if these requirements are met can high yield, high quality crops be obtained. Crop plants obtain nutrients and trace elements from the soil via their root systems, a process in which soil humus content plays an instrumental ro... read more