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1037: Environment – facts and figures

This paper is taken from Chapter 14 of the Defra publication ‘Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2009’

Year of Publication2010

Agriculture covers about three quarters of the UK land area; over 8 million hectares of farmland are in agri-environment schemes; over the last 20 years use of nitrate fertilisers fell by 36% and phosphate fell by 49% mainly due to less being used on grassland; there has been a consequent fall in nitrate and phosphate levels in rivers; pesticide use on cereals is also falling as is the use of water; agricultural emissions of methane, nitrous oxide and ammonia are all falling; farmland bird populations increased between 2007 and 2008, reversing a long term decline.

This item is categorised as follows

• Subject Collection > Environmental impact

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