Denmark is set to convert 15% of its farmland into forests and natural habitats as part of an initiative to reduce fertilizer usage, which has led to severe oxygen depletion in Danish waters and a loss of marine life, lawmakers announced on Monday.
With nearly two-thirds of its land used for agriculture, Denmark is one of the most intensively farmed countries in the world. To support this environmental push, the government has allocated 43 billion Danish crowns ($6.1 billion) to acquire farmland from farmers over the next two decades. As part of the plan, Denmark will plant one billion trees on agricultural land in the next 20 years, as outlined by the ministry for the Green Tripartite agreement.
The ministry, established in August, was created to implement the green deal formed in June between farmers, industry leaders, labor unions, and environmental groups.
Reducing agricultural emissions—Denmark’s largest source of greenhouse gases—has been a key challenge for lawmakers aiming to meet the country’s legally binding target of reducing emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by 2030.
