This brochure pro- vides you with fi gures which give you a comprehensive over- view of the German farming and forestry sectors. Ranging from growth, cultivation and use of renewable resources to the signifi cance of Germany’s agriculture within the European Union, many interesting details can be obtained from the fi gures provided. Facts and fi gures, however, not only document what has already been achieved.
They also help politics and industry to make de- cisions. Thus, they form the basis for laying out the future course for the agri-food industry. I wish all readers of this compact overview of Germany‘s multi- faceted agriculture and forestry sectors an interesting read and new insights.

Forestries
 One third of Germany covered with forests. Thus Germany ranks among the densely wooded countries in Europe. Around 11 million hectares corresponding to one third of the national territory are covered with forests. In regional terms, the proportion of woodland cover varies widely, ranging from 10 % in Schleswig-Holstein to over 40 % in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, the most thickly wooded Länder (federal states).
Following reunifi cation on 3 October 1990, Germany now com- prises 16 federal states (Länder). The terms ‘former federal repub- lic’ and ‘western Germany’ refer to Germany prior to reunifi ca- tion, while the terms ‘new states’ and ‘eastern Germany’ refer to the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg Western Pomera nia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
Farmers have shaped our landscape for generations and are an integral part of rural life. In no other sector of industry are tradi- tion and progress so closely linked as in farming. Almost every tenth person in employment in Germany works in an area that is either directly or indirectly connected with far- ming, forestries and the fi sheries – about a fi fth of them work in primary production.
Around 30 percent of land in Germany is covered by forests. The forests are important in that they supply wood (an environmen- tally sound raw material), improve the quality of soil, air, water and the climate, provide habitats for diverse fauna and fl ora, and give people invaluable leisure and recreation opportunities.
The most frequent tree species are spruce and pine. The main decidu- ous tree is the beech. Germany’s forests are divided among well over a million different owners. Around 44 percent of forest land are privately owned, making this the dominant form of forest ownership. Privately owned forests in Germany are mostly small- scale.
Only 11.9 percent of private forest land is owned by farm- ers with more than 1,000 hectares of land, while farms with less than 20 hectares share over half of all privately owned forests (57. 2 percent).
1999 14 15 Forest in Germany With some 3.4 billion m3, Germany has the largest wood reserves in Europe.
Annual available reserves are estimated at 80 million m3 as long as forest use practices remain as they are. The actual use of wood is estimated at 65 million m3 (the value for the old states has been calculated from the National Forest Inventories carried out in 1987 and 2002, for the new states it has been estimated). This means that reserves are available to allow for greater use of wood as a raw material and as an energy source without posing any risk to sustainable forest management practices.
Around two thirds of the wood felled is used as sawnwood, wood- based panels and building components used in the construction industry, the remainder being used in paper production and as fi rewood. The use of wood secures sustainable forest manage- ment in that the sale of wood provides more than 90 percent of forest owners’ income and is thus the key economic factor in the forestry sector.
Imports and Exports of Raw Timber, Remainder and Prod- ucts of Primary Processing of Wood (fi gures in 1,000 mł) 1) Wood shavings, pulpwood, other 2) Preliminary Source: Federal Statistical Offi ce Source: BWI216 17 Forest by Type of Ownership Tree Species in Primary Stock 28.2 % Spruce 1.5 % Fir 1.7 % Douglas 2.3 % Tree-less land 2.8 % Larch 5.9 % Other high-longevity deciduous trees 9.8 % Other low-longevity deciduous trees 14.8 % Beech 23.3 % Pine