Agriculture | Umweltbundesamt

The agricultural sector depends on intact environmental and climate conditions, but it is the cause of many types of pollution at the same time. Intensive livestock farming, high demand for farmland and the intensive use of arable land and grassland put a strain on surface and groundwater and air. Agriculture produces greenhouse gas emissions, jeopardises soil fertility and aggravates biodiversity loss. A transformation of an agricultural system that works at the expense of the environment to one that is ecologically sustainable poses an enormous challenge for farmers, policy-makers and society. The German Environment Agency provides you with information about the environmental consequences of agriculture and points out ways the sector can become sustainable.