Arable farming, horticulture and grassland: area under cultivation in the Netherlands, 1980-2002

The amount of agricultural land is decreasing as a result of the increasing use of space for housing, industry and roads. There are considerable variations depending on the use of the agricultural land.

		1980	1990	1995	2000	2001	2002

		1,000 ha
Arable crops¹⁾		710	805	796	806	798	824
among which	cereals	223	193	185	199	202	204
	root and tuber crops ²⁾	296	303	297	292	274	275
	green fodder crops	141	208	225	212	211	220

Horticultural crops ³⁾		113	104	109	112	110	116
of which	open land	104	94	99	101	100	105
	under glass	9	10	10	10	11	11

Grass		1 198	1 096	1 048	1 012	993	1 000

Total		2 015	2 000	1 953	1 930	1 901	1 940

Organic farming		.	7	13	26	31	.

Source: CBS (2003).		CBS/EDC/May03/0010
1) From 2002 onwards, arable farming includes the setting aside of land for wildlife and wild flora; this land did not used to be classified as agricultural land. 2) Potatoes, sugar beet and fodder beet. 3) From 1986 onwards, peas and onion stock grown using organic methods.

Area of land for conventional agriculture

Grassland accounts for more than half of the cultivated area. Since 1980, the area has diminished by almost 17%. The area for green maize (a green fodder crop) has increased by 50% since that time.
The reclamation of the IJsselmeerpolders allowed for increases in the total cultivated area up to 1960. After that date the agricultural area decreased as a result of the increasing use of space for housing, industry and roads.

More information about the area used for organic farming in the Netherlands.

Arable farming, horticulture and grassland: area under cultivation in the Netherlands, 1980-2002

Area of land for conventional agriculture

References

Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium

Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium