In 2024, agricultural land covered 18.8% of nature protection areas of various types in Slovenia. 26.3% of all agricultural land is included in nature protection areas. In the past, agriculture in Slovenia has contributed to high diversity of species and habitats and played a key role in the shaping of cultural landscape. Creation of protected areas is only the first step towards the preservation of traditional agricultural habitats; these habitats will only be preserved if the farmers have an economic interest in maintaining them.

In Slovenia, we cultivate slightly more than 8 acres (0.08 hectares) of arable land per capita, which more than third of the average in the European Union (EU), which is 22 acres of arable land per capita (data for year 2022). This area did not change significantly between 2000 and 2022, which indicates that Slovenia maintains its production potential.

Land areas, prepared for irrigation, have increased from 4,554 ha to 6,576 ha in the period 2000-2023, and their share in total utilized agricultural area from 0.9% to 1.4%. The water consumption per hectare of irrigated land, which strongly depends on weather conditions in each year, has decreased since 2000. Slovenia belongs to the group of EU countries with the smallest share of utilized agricultural area ready for irrigation.

Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, mainly methane and nitrous oxide, decreased by 16.3% from 1986 to 2022. The largest declines occurred in pig and cattle production and in fertilizer application to agricultural crops. The rapid decline in emissions was typical of the early years of this period until 2013. From 2013 to 2016, emissions increased. They were steady between 2016 and 2021 and decreased in 2022.

The phosphorus (P) budget in agriculture decreased by 107% in the period 1992–2023. The decline is the result of a decreased P intake with mineral and livestock fertilizers, as well as the consequence of increased P uptake by agricultural crops. The period up to 2003 was characterized by a surplus of 11 to 16 kg per hectare. Thereafter, the surpluses decreased and reached an average value of + 1 kg P per hectare in the last five-year period.