Marginal lands in Europe—causes of decline
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This article analyses the mechanisms behind changes in agricultural land use. Intensification of land use on the one hand, and abandonment on the other have had important consequences for landscape and biodiversity. The basic mechanism behind it is a change in the relative prices of inputs and output. In this sense the general economic developments have been determining the changes in agricultural land use. In Western Europe, the rapid increase in the opportunity costs of labour was the main factor behind mechanisation and intensification of agriculture . Also, the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU has stimulated intensification. Recent policy developments have cut down important incentives for further intensification. This, however, does not solve the problem of the decline of low input agricultural systems in Europe. The only way to maintain them is by specific nature-enhancing policies.
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Marginal lands have been defined in Europe as land uses that are on the margin of economic viability.
“Marginal lands have been defined, on the one hand, in Europe as land uses that are on the margin of economic viability (Strijker, 2005).”
From Concepts of agricultural marginal lands and their utilisation: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Strijker, 2005
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- Authors
- Strijker, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Strijker, Dirk
- ORCID
- Strijker, Dirk
- Venue
- Basic and Applied Ecology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-04
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 99-106
- ISSN
- 1439-1791 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2114955935
- Cited by
- 473
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 64.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Basic and Applied Ecology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- European Science Foundation
- European Social Fund
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agricultural Economics and Policy
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Agricultural economics and policies
- Keywords
- marginal land, agricultural land use change, agricultural intensification, land abandonment, opportunity cost of labor, agricultural mechanization, Common Agricultural Policy, low-input agriculture, biodiversity loss, landscape change, input prices
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