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Europe: Europe Agriculture Profile

2012/08/14

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Europe Agriculture Profile

Europe has some of the world’s richest farmland. Farming, except in parts of eastern and southern Europe, is highly mechanized and efficient. European farmers produce most of the food consumed on the continent. However, all nations must import a sizable portion of their food supply. Much of the food imported comes from tropical countries, including such goods as cocoa, coffee, and tropical fruits. There are great variations among European nations in the percentage of workers employed in agriculture. Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, and Moldova have the highest percentage of agricultural workers in the labor force—30 per cent or greater. Nations with the lowest percentage of agricultural workers include Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Switzerland, each with less than 4 per cent.

Farms in Europe produce primarily livestock and cereals, including wheat, barley, oats, rye, and corn, as well as corn, flax, potatoes, sugar beets, and tobacco. France, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine are Europe's greatest producers of cereals, dairy products, and pork. Fruits and vegetables come primarily from France, Italy, Russia, Spain, and Ukraine. Most of the world’s olives come from farms in the Mediterranean areas of Europe. These farms also produce citrus fruits, dates, figs, and grapes. Leaders in the production of beef and veal include France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Ukraine. Though not the leader in quantity, the Netherlands has the largest yield per acre of cereals.

Farmers in most of Europe raise cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry for meat. Some of the world’s best breeds of cattle and sheep originated in Europe. Germany, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the Scandinavian countries have the most productive dairy farms. The United Kingdom has produced many of these breeds, including Hereford and Jersey cattle and Hampshire, Shropshire, and Suffolk sheep.

Fishing is an important activity, especially in northern Europe. The most important fisheries lie in the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean, and the greatest quantities of fish are usually caught by Russia, Norway, and Denmark. Iceland, Spain, Great Britain, and France also have large fishing industries. The largest part of the catch comes from northeastern Atlantic waters, but European fleets fish throughout much of the world.

The European Union created its Common Fisheries Policy to coordinate fishing efforts and attempt to manage overfishing, which has threatened the survival of many fish species. Such fish as hake and cod, once abundant in northern waters, have become severely threatened in those areas.

Forestry centers largely in northern Europe, particularly in Russia, Finland, Austria, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. Parts of France, Romania, and Poland also produce timber. Forest resources in much of the rest of Europe are depleted or of poor quality, and the needs of most nations must be met by imports. Pine and other softwoods account for most of the lumber consumed in Europe.

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