23 July 2026

Photo: Raquel Carceller at Pixabay

Demand for land is rising. Agricultural land is of interest not only for farmers but increasingly also for infrastructure projects, industrial zones and residential development. Projects related to the energy transition – wind turbines, solar farms, and substations – as well as developers of data centers are also seeking land in Schleswig-Holstein. Added to this is the need to nature conservation.

A report by NDR on 26 July describes how rising prices are putting pressure on farmers. In the report, Dr. Kerstin Jantke, a scientist of sustainability from FNK, confirmed the increasing demand for agricultural land. She even predicts further price increases and competition for land. In this process, the amount of land designated for nature conservation is low. Areal, industrial and infrastructural projects have a much greater influence on increasing competition.

In addition, Jantke points out the direct competition between the social goals of food production and the conservation of species and ecosystems. As it is not possible to increase the amount of land, Jantke is focusing on making agriculture more efficient. At the KERMIT project, she is investigating ways to increase efficiency in fruit production without the use of fertilisers and pesticides.

Link to the NDR article (in German)