Chapter 1
Agricultural land use in the Nordic countries

This section overviews the state of agricultural land and reasons for its reduction in the Nordic countries. In cases where data is available, main reasons for changes to non-agricultural land uses are presented. However, the focus is mainly on which land use types are considered to compete with agricultural use and which land use are prioritised politically.

Figure 1: Agricultural Land Use in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden
Source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization, [www.fao.org/faostat].

Table 1: Agricultural Land Use in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden

Agricultural land in the Nordic Region has declined by 25,071 km² (approximately 19%) over the past six decades. In the most recent couple of decades the rate of decline has slowed, but not completely stopped. Between 2002 and 2022, agricultural land in the Nordic region decreased by 2,319 km² (approximately 2%). The potential for maintaining active agricultural land varies between the countries, primarily due to differences in geographic conditions. For the same reason, the balance between cropland and pasture also differs across the Nordic countries.  

Figure 2: Distribution of agricultural land type 2022

Data source: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization, [http://www.fao.org/faostat/].

Denmark has a flat landscape and fertile soils optimal for agricultural production. This has made Denmark one of the most intensively cultivated countries in Europe, with approximately 60% of its land used for agriculture.

Much like other countries, agricultural land area has declined in Denmark, as other uses compete over the same land. The reduction of agricultural land has however slowed in the last 10–15 years. According to Statistics Denmark, areas for buildings, roads, railroads and other traffic-related facilities increased by 272 km² between 2011 and 2021.

Statistics Denmark, Landbrug 2022 – foreløbige tal [Agriculture 2022 – Preliminary Figures], February 22, 2023, https://www.dst.dk/Site/Dst/Udgivelser/nyt/GetPdf.aspx?cid=49422.

However, there is geographical variation in where areas for buildings and infrastructure have increased. Another land use that increased during this period is natural areas such as heaths, dunes, bogs and meadows. The area of agricultural land decreased by 2.7% during the same period.

There is a growing focus on nature and environmental considerations that must be balanced with Denmark’s large agricultural areas. At the same time, the green transition requires sustainable energy sources and biological resources. Increasing demand for bio resources, including afforestation competes for land. Competition for land use related to energy production is expected to further increase. Denmark has a number of politically determined targets concerning land use. Among them is an ambition to restore the natural hydrology of 100,000 hectares of peatland and surrounding areas before 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, expansion of renewable energy on land including wind turbines and solar panels, afforestation, carbon capture, and production of advanced fuels (power-to-X). The Danish government is also planning a proposal to plant 2500 km² of forests.

Denmark, Government of, Regeringsgrundlag: Ansvar for Danmark [Government Platform: Responsibility for Denmark], December 14, 2022, https://www.stm.dk/statsministeriet/publikationer/regeringsgrundlag-2022/.

In 2017, the private Danish Board of Technology estimated that 140% of the total Danish land area would be needed in 2050 to fulfil adopted policies related to agriculture, nature, climate, infrastructure, etc. at the time.

Finn Arler, Michael Søgaard Jørgensen, and Esben Munk Sørensen, Prioritering af Danmarks Areal i Fremtiden: Afsluttende Rapport fra Projektet (København: Fonden Teknologirådet, 2017), https://tekno.dk/app/uploads/2017/04/Areal-afslutningsrapport.pdf.

More recently, the private think tank Concito has estimated that meeting Danish political ambitions will require changing land use on 9 to 43% of the Danish land area.

CONCITO, Danmarks Arealer – Danmarks Fremtid (København: CONCITO, 2023), https://concito.dk/files/media/document/Danmarks%20Arealer%20-%20Danmarks%20Fremtid.pdf.

No official data is available on agricultural land in the Faroe Islands, but the Faroese Islands Agricultural Agency estimates that it covers approximately 5–6% of the total land area, which is around 1,400 km². In addition, a large portion of the remaining open land is used for food production in the form of livestock grazing, primarily sheep.

Over the past 50 years, Faroese society has undergone significant modernization, during which much of the former agricultural land has been repurposed for various types of development. Both the historic and more recent settlements are, in most cases, located on the highest quality agricultural land. As a result, the continuing develop­ment of communities has often led to the irreversible conversion of cultivated or grazing areas near the original settlements.

The Faroe Islands have experienced population growth of over 20% since the turn of the millennium, as well as substantial economic growth in the same period, where GDP has almost tripled (increased by over 250%) during the same period. This has contributed to the extensive reallocation of agricultural land, particularly for housing and related infrastructure.

In recent years, new development interests – such as wind and solar energy parks, fish farming facilities, and tourism infrastructure – have become increasingly visible and are now central issues in land use debates in Faroe Islands.

Finland is the most forested country in Europe, with 75% of its land covered by forests. Agriculture makes up a smaller proportion of the country’s bioeconomy. Agricultural land amounted to 22,680 km² in 2021, which represents around 7.5% of the country.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), FAOSTAT, "Land Use", [http://www.fao.org/faostat/].

While forestry has received a lot of the political and public focus, advocacy for preserving agricultural land has recently increased in Finland. This advocacy has mainly revolved around food production and food security.

Agricultural land has decreased in Finland, hitting a low point in 1997. The total amount of agricultural land in Finland has been consistent since then. The agricultural sector has battled a continued trend towards fewer farmers and larger agricultural units. This change has been especially prominent in the last decade. According to statistics provided by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), there were almost 59,500 farmers in Finland in 2010, but by 2022 the number had fallen to just under 43,600.

Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Structure of Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises, “Number of Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises by ELY Centre”, [https://www.luke.fi/en/statistics]

This has also led to agricultural units becoming inactive.

In 2021, the national inventory on greenhouse gases showed that land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) became a net emission source in Finland for the first time.

Statistics Finland, Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Finland, "Classifications Used: Emission Category, Greenhouse Gas", https://stat.fi/en/statistics/khki.

Land use policy is therefore often focused on LULUCF which comes with directives from the EU to increase biodiversity and wetland restoration.

Farmers’ big worry has been the conversion of agricultural land into green energy infrastructure – especially wind turbines (foresters have similar concerns) and the accompanying high-voltage electrical lines that are usually above ground. More recently solar farms have put additional pressure on areas currently used for food production. The issue of compen­sation for land area that is used for green energy infra­structure has also been raised.

Greenland is the world’s largest island, with a total area of ​​2.2 million km². Most of the land consists of untouched tundra and mountainous landscapes, characterized by cool temperatures and short growing seasons. Agricultural activity in Greenland primarily revolves around sheep farming. Cultivation of vegetables, potatoes and winter feed for livestock takes place only in southern Greenland, where the subarctic climate makes such agriculture possible for domestic use.

Grønlands Statistik, Grønland i tal 2024 (6th ed.; Nuuk: Grønlands Statistik, 2024), https://stat.gl/publ/en/GF/2024/pdf/Greenland%20in%20Figures%202024.pdf

According to data from the Nordic Statistics Database, agricultural land in Greenland consists solely of permanent pastures, totalling 12 km² in 2023. In 2001, the area of permanent pastures was estimated to 8 km², representing a 50% increase over the past 12 years. In practice, sheep graze over large areas due to the absence of private land ownership in Greenland, which allows for common land use rights.

As in other Nordic countries, the number of sheep farms has decreased in recent decades, while the size of individual farms has increased.

So far, there have been no significant disputes concerning agricultural land in Greenland. However, growing interest in raw materials is expected to lead to potential disputes between resource extraction and other land uses, including grazing areas.

The agricultural landscape in Iceland is dominated by pastures, due to its tradition of sheep herding and an unfavourable climate for farming. The cropland is mostly used for production of hay, but there is also a share of barley and potatoes. There is interest in developing the agricultural sector in Iceland, but arable land competes with other interests, much like the other Nordic countries.

The amount of cropland has been relatively stable over the last few years. Between 1990–2020 cropland declined by 26 km² according to Statistics Iceland. Areas for settlements, such as housing, transport infrastructure and facilities, increased by 134 km² over the same period. Other land use types that have increased over the last three decades are forests and grasslands, while areas classified as arid land and wetlands have decreased.

Statistics Iceland, "Land Use Change for Iceland 1990–2020," news release, November 18, 2022, https://statice.is/publications/news-archive/environment/land-use-change-for-iceland-1990-2020/.

There is a growing concern around issues related to land use and agricultural resources, similar to the other Nordic countries. One example is a growing interest in forest plantations for carbon sequestration. In Iceland, land is relatively cheap, which makes it feasible for private and foreign interests to become increasingly influential on Icelandic land use. Tourist industry growth resulting in increased land pressure has sparked some conflict over land use. Since LULUCF is the largest component in Iceland’s greenhouse gas emissions, discussions on land use often revolve around grassland, wetland restoration and forest recovery. Widespread soil erosion has resulted from both anthropogenic and natural causes over centuries, particularly wind and water erosion. The need for land restoration is therefore pressing. While it is a common perception in Iceland that land is abundant, degraded soils restrict potential land use. The conversation on how climate change will affect agricultural land and the country’s food production is in its initial phase and was considered in the country’s first food policy in 2020. This is also a key element in planning climate change adaptation for agriculture. 

The share of agricultural land in Norway is small compared to other Nordic countries, mostly due to its landscapes of deep valleys, high mountains and climatic limitations. The amount of agricultural land in Norway has been relatively stable since the end of World War II, due to establishment of new agricultural land to offset losses to other purposes. Political efforts have been made in the last few years to preserve agricultural land and is believed to have slowed the decline.

Data on land reallocated from agriculture to other purposes is collected by Statistics Norway. Since 2015, the main reason for development of agricultural land is the establishment of transport facilities and technical infra­structure. In 2022 the establish­ment of transport facilities and technical infrastructure consumed about 1.1791 km² (1179.1 decares) of agricultural land, while housing occupied about 0.6521 km² (652.1 decares) of agricultural land.

Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB), Omdisponering, etter dyrka eller dyrkbar jord, formål og lovanvendelse (K) 2015 - 2024, https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/11776/.

Another common fate of agri­cultural land is the establishment of forests. In addition to data covered by Statistics Norway, NIBIO produces a map (AR5) that shows land resources with an emphasis on the production base for agriculture and forestry. However, it has become known that the agricultural area in Norway is smaller than what appears in these statistics. For example, in northern Norway there is a current issue of abandoned agricultural units still being categorized as agricultural land in national statistics. Work to make the statistics more accurate is ongoing.

In Norway, the green energy transition has accelerated the debate on optimal land use. This includes discussion of land for green energy, recreation, biodiversity and LULUCF. Construction of cabins has increased in Norway, which has also increased conflicts, for example with reindeer husbandry. Landowners’ increased interest in establishing solar parks has also spurred a debate on the current lack of legislation protecting agricultural land. Preparedness for crises is a common argument for conservation of agricultural land, and the use and management of inactive agricultural land as contingency areas is under discussion. Additionally, soil conservation in Norway now receives more emphasis as a precaution for sustainability and its importance in terms of biodiversity.

About two thirds of Sweden is forested. Around 7% of the land area is agricultural, but this is concentrated in the southern parts of the country.

Between 2016–2020 about 10% of lost agricultural land was a consequence of development. The rest is primarily land that is no longer cultivated and is slowly converted. Such regenerated forests can become arable land again without too much effort if needed in the future, which cannot be done with developed land. Buildings account for the majority of development on agricultural land in Sweden followed by roads and railways. The proportion of agricultural land developed with buildings has increased during 2016–2020 compared to previous periods. Housing, detached houses in particular, make up the majority of developed agricultural land.

V. Ljungström and Å. Svensson, Exploatering av jordbruksmark 2016–2020 (RA21: 8; Jordbruksverket, 2021), https://www2.jordbruksverket.se/download/18.3fe46a3117be21208098aeae/1631785978822/ra21_8.pdf.

There are however large geo­graphical variations. In the last couple of decades, most develop­ment of agricultural land has occurred in southern and western Sweden. In recent years, a larger part of the development has taken place around the urban areas than previously.

Debate has increased on develop­ment of and decrease in agri­cultural land in the last 10–15 years. There have been more cases of conflict, where municipalities’ plans to develop agricultural land have been taken to court. The appeals against municipal plans have been made by individuals and cannot be made by the state. Increased offers from solar companies to farmers have also caused a debate in Sweden. There are market incentives for agri­cultural landowners to establish solar parks instead of producing food. Legislation and administrative infra­structure to deal with this change by the state is lacking. The importance of protecting agricultural land has been raised by officials at the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Contingencies Agency from a preparedness perspective.

Åland Islands is made up of an archipelago of 6,757 islands. Most of the landscape consist of cliffs, heathlands and forests.  According to data from the Nordic Statistics Database, agricultural land accounted for 12.7% (198 km²) of the total land area in 2023. Of this, 136 km² was cultivated land in the same year. With a total surface of 1,581 km², cultivated land represents approximately 8.5% of Åland’s land area.

Cultivated land has marginally decreased over the past three decades. In 1995, there were 142.8 km² of cultivated land, compared to 136 km² in 2023 – a reduction of approximately 5%. However, during the same period, land used for permanent pastures and meadows increased by nearly the same proportion, growing from 50 km² in 1995 to 63 km² in 2023.

Ålands statistik- och utredningsbyrå (ÅSUB), Användning av åkerarealen 1995–2024, https://www.asub.ax/sv/statistik/statistikdatabasen

There are no published statistics identifying the main reasons behind shifts from agricultural use to other purpose. However, officials have observed a trend in which smaller agricultural units are decreasing in Åland and the surrounding archipelago, often leading to the associated cultivated land reverting to a natural, uncultivated state. They also see a slight trend toward the establishment of larger agricultural units, which sometimes involves developing new cultivated land.

Competing interests that could influence agricultural land use include the protection of biotopes, ancient monuments and other cultural remains that aren’t protected by law, but where discussions sometimes arise regarding their potential value and whether they should be preserved. In general, the use of agricultural land has not sparked significant debate in Åland. Land use issues related to wind and solar power, as well as environmental concerns like fishing quotas, are more commonly debated and is of interest to discuss on a Nordic level for Åland.