… farmers’ cost intensive subsidy entitlements. In keeping with the principle of using public funds for the common good, the European Commission’s current reform … grassland to arable land. Ecological priority areas Farmers would be required to use five per cent at a minimum (possibly 7 per cent as from 2017) of their … in order to make EU agricultural policy more ecofriendly and legitimize the use of public funds for the farming sector. The UBA’s Agricultural Expert Panel …

… are spread on the farm's own land and can be absorbed by the plants. Nutrient surpluses from the purchase of feed and the use of mineral fertilizers are largely … are stored and removed from the atmosphere. In addition, no mineral fertilizers are used, the production of which is particularly energy-intensive. The comparatively … necessary. Data from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, collected using a different method, show that at the end of 2024, a total of 35,881 farms – …

… policy directives into German laws governing matters such as fertilizer use, pest control, nature conservation and water conservation. However, Germany’s … go into farm production. One of the keys to achieving this is legal compliance and use of the best available technologies. Apart from EMAS and EMASeasy, other auditing and certification systems are coming into increasing use, among them Kriteriensystem Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft (KSNL) from Thuringia (as …

… effects such as soil erosion and compaction. last update on 17.02.2014 Introduction Using machinery to till cropland optimizes crop growth conditions and soil … intensive crop cultivation practices, as well as technical advances, entail the use of highly specialized, powerful and heavy machinery, equipment and transport … nutrient discharge, and reduced soil fertility. Hence fields should be tilled and used in a manner that protects the soil and that is commensurate with local …

… last update on 24.09.2015 Introduction More than half of Germany's land area is used for agriculture. As a habitat for a wide variety of animals, plants, fungi, and … landscape elements are extremely important for wild animals and plants. The high use of pesticides and fertilizers exacerbates the situation, as when introduced into …

… Smith / Fotolia Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. The use of mineral and organic nitrogen fertilizers to increase yields is therefore … roughly equal parts from industry, transport, and private households. Nitrogen is used in agriculture as a fertilizer to achieve high yields of good quality, to … land. This leads to excessive nutrient levels in rivers, lakes, and seas, causing eutrophication of the affected waters. An oversupply of nitrogen in water …

… of objects and can therefore delay the onset of a fire. Some of the commonly used flame retardants, however, can be toxic to the environment and human health. … match with the special type of product, its material composition and its designated use. Products, in which flame retardants are applied, are for example the casings of …

… Pharmaceuticals Antibiotics are used on a large scale in industrialised farming. Source: Gina Sanders / Fotolia.com … and cure human and veterinary diseases. However, pharmaceuticals need to be used sparingly and with due care, for their positive effects also entail human and …

… Tilling, nitrogen fertilizers and livestock farming are key sources of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane, as the statistics clearly show: in 2016 59 per … in this domain. last update on 31.01.2019 Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that does around 300 times more climate damage than carbon dioxide. The main … of nitrogen fertilizer. In addition to the amount of nitrogen or lime fertilizers used, the amount of greenhouse gas produced is determined by factors such as …

… most livestock farming ammonia emissions are attributable to fertilizer storage and use. Ammonia emissions are released into the atmosphere, where they can react with … matter, which is a health hazard. Apart from ammonia, livestock farming also causes odour and dust emissions (which can also contain organic components such as … Waste-air cleaning systems, which reduce pigsty and cattle barn emissions, are used by more than 1,000 German farms (mainly pig farms). Waste air cleaning systems …

… Compost and sewage sludge Wheel loader being used to turn compost Source: Tim Hermann / UBA 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, …