Agriculture in Austria- management in harmony with nature
Agriculture and forestry in Austria have been the main pillars in the country’s historical and cultural tradition and still are an indispensable part of Austria’s overall economy with some 80% of the country’s territory that are used for those purposes.
The country’s agriculture has been consistently geared towards the production of high quality and healthy food while providing ecological services and preserving the landscape following the principle of sustainability.
Rural areas with its small and medium-sized farms are still characterised by the close relationship of farmers to their native land and nature although in 2001 the share of people working in agriculture amounted to 3.9% and in 2004 the agriculture and forestry production in the national economy’s gross value added accounted for 1.9%.
The landscape and with it the regional distribution of crop types in Austria varies greatly. In the country’s eastern region one primarily can find arable land, while permanent grassland prevails in the western Alpine region.
Alpine pastures – Landmarks of Austria’s landscape
Austria’s agriculture is unique within the EU with about 60 percent of all agricultural holdings, being located in mountainous areas that extend over 2/3 of the countries territory. Dairy and forestry management are not only their main sources of income, but it also helps to maintain the quality of life in rural areas and the safeguarding of intact mountain areas.
Animal production
As almost 60% of Austria’s agricultural area is grassland, cattle farming and dairy farming constitute the most important lines of production in agriculture. Therefore Austria ranks among the most innovative dairy and cheese nations worldwide, with a very high level of quality for example in raw milk.
Plant production
Although the emphasis in domestic plant production is on the cultivation of cereals, corn, potatoes and sugar beet, there has been a trend towards the cultivation of rapeseed, sunflower, soy, poppy and hops. In the climatically more clement eastern and southern provinces of Austria the growing of vegetables like tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers and lettuce plays an important role along with fruit growing, most importantly apples, peaches, plums and pears.
Moreover in some parts of Austria viticulture has a long tradition that traces back to the Roman age. Relying on many years of experience and on strict quality criteria, numerous international awards testify to the high quality of the wine that it not only enjoyed in the country itself, but also widely exported. Especially the production of fruity, fresh white wines, such as Grüner Veltliner rank amoung the top quality wines worldwide and are mostly enjoyed in the year of the harvest as young wines.
Organic agriculture
Indispensable bases of life are clean air, pure water, unpolluted soil and intact ecosystems.
The necessity to safeguard the prerequisites for a high quality of life was recognized early and already in 1918 the first farm in Austria started to produce along the principles of organic farming.
Later it was the first country in the world to set official guidelines for organic farming and has thus taken on an increasingly acknowledged pioneer role among EU member states with the Today it takes the lead in the EU and can be considered as Europe’s “organic country” no. 1. Since a considerable part of today’s population is showing a growing interest in healthy resources and food, organic crop land is continuously rising with already 16% of Austria’s farmers practising organic farming and 13.5% of the utilised agricultural area being cultivated according to organic criteria.
Booming food exports
The trend towards sustainability, the reduced use of fertilisers and pesticides, the increased use of organic substances and the prohibition of hormones and genetic engineering make Austria’s agriculture special and outstanding. This is not only valued by the Austrians, but also worldwide and therefore Austria is placing greater emphasis of the export of its high-quality food. The most important export markets are neighbouring countries Germany and Italy but already on the third place the United States can be found. All in all 41% of Austria’s dairy products are sold abroad and particularly successful is cheese. Other goods of great interest are wine, sweets, fruits, vegetables and meat.
One can say that with its traditional and modern ideas, farming as a form of production and lifestyle provides vital impulses for society as a whole and creates continuity in rural life and adds to the export story of Austrian’s exports.
For further information in English on Austria’s agriculture we would like to recommend the official website of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water management in Austria www.lebensministerium.at, which also offers information in English.
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