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Country introduction (SOER 2010)
Agriculture in Belgium
Key message
Agriculture is still an important economic sector putting only a limited number of active population to work.
Data sources
- Belgium’s fifth National Communication on Climate Change (under UNFCCC)
- Kingdom of Belgium, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and development Cooperation
- Statistics Belgium: (English - Dutch – French – German)
- Statistics Flanders: Flemish regional indicators (VRIND 2009 - Dutch)
- Statistics Brussels: (English - French – Dutch)
- Statistics Wallonia: (French)
Belgian agriculture is specialised in market garden and horticultural crops, cereals, potatoes, sugar beets, livestock and milk production. Fishing has relatively limited importance in the economy. Although agricultural land in use has remained relatively stable, the number of farms and the active population in this sector have continued to decline significantly in recent years, continuing a trend underway since World War II. The active population in agriculture and fisheries currently represents less than 1 % of the population. Despite this decline, agriculture and fisheries are still important economic sectors.