Deep Roots

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Slovenia: where family farming underpins

nature and strengthens local economies

Tanja Gorisek, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Slovenia

or Slovenia, a small, predominantly hilly and

mountainous country located in the middle of

Europe, family farming has been a principal model

of agriculture for centuries and it is certain to remain

so in the future. This model has proved adaptable to

the diverse natural characteristics of Slovenia and resil-

ient to the societal, political and market turnovers the

country has faced over the years as part of different

political constellations.

Slovenia’s territory is characterized by its diversified terrain,

rich cultural heritage and abundant and diverse natural sites.

Almost 90 per cent of its territory lies 300 metres or more

above sea level, while plain areas in the form of closed valleys

and basins account for less than 20 per cent of the entire terri-

tory. The diversity of natural conditions directly influences

dispersed settling, with a large number of small settlements.

It is also the reason for an exceptionally diverse and relatively

well preserved natural environment. Less favoured areas for

agricultural activity cover 86.3 per cent of the entire terri-

tory of the country, of which 72.3 per cent are mountain

areas. Due to high biodiversity, 37.2 per cent of territory is

included in Natura 2000 areas, which is the highest share in

the European Union (EU). Forests cover 70.7 per cent of the

Natura 2000 area. Forests are in fact a predominant feature of

the Slovenian countryside as they cover almost two thirds of

the country, placing Slovenia at the very top of the EU in the

share of forests. It is, therefore, no surprise that 84 per cent of

the 74,646 agricultural holdings in Slovenia also own wood-

land according to official statistical data. Forests comprised 42

per cent of the entire area of land used by agricultural hold-

ings in 2010, implying the importance of wood as an asset and

an additional source of income.

Throughout the centuries, unfavourable geographic condi-

tions have made it impossible for Slovenian farmers to obtain

larger plots of agricultural land. According to the Statistical

Family farming is the predominant model of agriculture in the small, hilly and mountainous country of Slovenia

Image: Kristjan Mala

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