KAZALCI OKOLJA
Neutral

In the past 30 years, consumption of plant protection products (PPPs) in Slovenia has been steadily decreasing and PPPs sales declined from 2,031 tons in 1992 to 914 tons in 2021. Due to the higher share of permanent crops, fungicides account for more than two thirds of all PPPs used in Slovenia. In 2021, the total consumption of PPPs per unit of arable land and permanent crops was 4.5 kg of active ingredient per hectare, which is the lowest amount in the last 10-year period of monitoring of PPPs consumption.

Good

In the period 1992–2022 the consumption of mineral fertilizers in Slovenia was reduced by 38%. In the same period the consumption of plant nutrients (N, P2O5, K2O) per hectare of utilized agricultural area also reduced by 30%. The average consumption per hectare of utilized agricultural area was 61 kg N, 25 kg P2O5 and 31 kg K2O. In the period 2012–2019 the average consumption of nitrogen in Slovenia was lower (57 kg N/ha) than in EU member states (63 kg N/ha).

Good

There is a noticeable increase in the area of agricultural land included in the implementation of agri-environmental schemes (AES) measures in the period 2015–2022. During this period, the net area of agricultural land under agro-environmental measures increased from 65,354 ha to 97,652 ha (an increase of 49%). The share of the area of these land in the utilized agricultural area (UAA) thus increased from around 14 to around 20 %.

Neutral

Intensity of agriculture in Slovenia is moderate, directed mostly at improving labour intensity in agricultural production, i.e. reducing the input of labour per unit of area or product. The number of livestock units (LU) per hectare of utilised agricultural area, as the aggregate indicator of production intensity, is stable; in the 2000–2020 period, the stocking density, like in other EU countries, has slightly decreased. Due to economic pressures (market-price relationships) the agricultural holdings are forced to reduce production costs and increase productivity and farming intensity.

Neutral

The proportion of agricultural land with high natural value increased from 10.1% in 2002 to 15.3% in 2022. This includes areas of extensive orchard, wet meadows, lands undergoing afforestation, mixed land use and agricultural land covered by forest trees.

Compared to other EU countries, Slovenia demonstrates substantial landscape diversity and a high natural value of its agricultural land.

Good

In 2022, 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.

Neutral

Despite the fact that the level of education on Slovenian agricultural holdings has significantly improved in the period 2000-20120, it is still quite unfavourable. Still, more than half of the farmers have only practical experience with work in agriculture. In all age classes, the number of farmers who have completed one of the forms of formal agricultural education is increasing. Under the Rural Development Program, 105,406 participants participated in education and training in the sub-measure Support for Vocational Training and Skills Acquisition Activities.

Good

The response of agricultural holdings to the agricultural policy and favourable market opportunities, which support the spreading of organic farming has been growing every year. The area intended for organic farming has increased in the period 1999–2022 from 2,400 ha to 53,202 ha, or from 0.5% to 11.1% of the total utilised agricultural area. The structure of agricultural land with organic farming is strongly dominated by grassland (79% in 2022), which shows that livestock farms more frequently convert to organic farming.

Neutral

In Slovenia, the majority of energy consumption in agriculture is gas oil used as a propellant for agricultural machinery (55.2 %), followed by energy for the production of mineral nitrogen fertilizers (38.0 %) and electric energy (4.5 %). Compared to the average of 28 European countries, in 2016 Slovenia has 9.5% more direct energy consumption per hectare of utilized agricultural area and 13.5 % less indirect energy use in agriculture.

Bad

In the period 2020–2022, the cultivation of agricultural land decreased and the urbanization of soil/land is intensifying and thus causing irreversible soil degradation and loss of natural resources. Changes in the use of larger areas are noticeable mainly on the outskirts of settlements for the needs of industry and trade and along the routes of larger infrastructure facilities. However, small changes prevail in terms of scale due to dispersed individual construction, expansion and modernization of facilities and smaller infrastructure.