Åbent Landbrug, the annual Open Farm Day, takes place every year in September — and is where farmers essentially invite everyone in the country to visit their farm. More than 80 participate all around Denmark. This event has taken place since the end of the ‘80s, with thousands of people going into the countryside to understand where the national produce comes from.
As we all very well know, finding a farm is not hard business in this country. If you take any train in almost any random direction pointing opposite the city centers, you will end up in a farm. In fact, 61% of Denmark’s total area is cultivated – and then there’s some generous extra land that is just nature. In Denmark, countryside is king.
In case you can’t make it, however, here are some interesting facts about the Danish farming world. The agricultural sector is responsible for 22% of the total Danish export of goods, and of course, pork and dairy (and fish) are its golden items. The main buyers are Germany, Sweden, the UK, and China. Although it is a rather tiny country, humble Denmark of 5.8 million inhabitants produces food for 15 million people. Cereals are the dominant crop, but rather than consuming or exporting it, 85% of it serves as animal food.
In this regard, the grass is greener on Denmark’s side: Danes consume more organic produce than any other country, at 12% (we do wish it was even more!). And if you’re wondering where the food waste you are asked to separate in your kitchen goes, the answer is biogas for energy production and manure. By 2050, Denmark aspires to become fully carbon neutral in the food sector. If you are still reading Last Week in Denmark by then, we will keep you in the loop.
