Future of mountain agriculture in the Alps

Abstract

In the European Alps, a total of roughly 18 % of the area is farmland and a further 18 % is covered by natural and semi-natural grassland). In total, about 31.4 % of the Alps, with a surface area of 190,600 km2, are still used for agricultural purposes. Therefore, agriculture has a great responsibility for these areas and, by cultivating arable land, fields and pastures, makes an important contribution to the maintenance of a diversified cultural landscape in the Alps.