Nature preservation and agricultural landscape as seen by young adults

The use of our agricultural landscapes is in flux. Reasons for this include climate change, the energy transition, and changing market conditions for agricultural products. This makes it all the more important to pay greater attention to nature conservation concerns on farm land. Because: the goals of economic land use are all too often seemingly incompatible with the goals of conserving animal and plant species. In the 2015 Nature Awareness Study, local agricultural landscapes and agricultural production methods were addressed in depth for the first time. The study systematically explored the questions of how Germans assess and evaluate the development of bees, butterflies, wild plants, streams and other components of farmed areas, how much value citizens place on protecting the diversity of agricultural landscapes, what they think about the various agricultural production methods, how they assess the use of genetic engineering in agriculture and to what extent they would support financial support for agriculture in favor of nature conservation. The results give pause for thought, as they point to a clear generational difference in Germans’ awareness of nature. The young generation of 18- to 29-year-olds is much less aware of nature conservation issues, sees less need for action and is less willing to act than older people.

The book in which this article was published can be obtained here.