Germany must use more land for agriculture and renewables at same time – report

Land used for agriculture has been declining in Germany over the past decades – a trend that is set to continue in the coming years – and the country must put more focus on the dual use of land, said the Thünen Institute (Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries). While the country’s food supply is currently not at risk, Germany should tackle the projected loss of agricultural land of more than 300,000 hectares by 2030 through synergies. Examples of this are the increased expansion of photovoltaics on land used for settlements or transport infrastructure, on rewetted peatlands, or in combination with agricultural use (also known as agrivoltaics). “The challenge for policymakers lies in balancing and managing the diverse land claims without slowing down the pace of the energy transition and the transformation to a more sustainable and climate-friendly land use,” reads a press release.

Germany must find a way to reduce its agricultural emissions, which make up about seven percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, to reach its goal of climate neutrality by 2045 and to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement. At the same time, the country plans to massively expand wind and solar power, and has for instance introduced rules to reserve 2 percent of land area for onshore wind power.