Changes in land use

Farkas, Jenő Zsolt – Csatári, Bálint

Keywords: cultivation forms, reduction of agricultural areas, foodstuff demand, increasing size of settlements

The conditions affecting agricultural production – its environmental, economic, social and political aspects – have undergone significant change over the last five decades. Our geographic analysis indicates that we are currently in a transitory period, which is characterised by well-defined trends, reduction of agricultural areas and increased demand for foodstuff. It is therefore important in Hungary to prepare for the reform of the CAP, which comes after 2014. The system of subsidies should be geared towards correcting the current processes which have a negative effect on the environment and on land use, to ensure sustainability. The land use patterns in Hungary have been found to have underwent a similar course as in the other Member States, despite past and present differences. The big question is, after liberalisation of the land market in 2011 and the changes in CAP as of 2014, how can Hungary’s landscapes, valuable cultivated areas and natural protection areas be preserved for the future generation?

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