Series Agriculture 1

Five aspects of agricultural policy will be presented from a civic education perspective. The first aspect of agricultural policy in Austria covers the framework conditions and phases actors and changes in policy content since EU accession. A personal reflection sheds light on Austrian agricultural policy. The second aspect concerns the industrialization of agriculture with the pursuit of profit and the pressure to rationalize agricultural structures that damage soil air and water. Monocultures and the use of pesticides lead to a decline in biodiversity - especially among insects and birds - and create landscapes in agricultural deserts. Sometimes there is a lack of knowledge about such effects in an agro-industrial use. The third aspect of food security is an essential part of a functioning agricultural policy. It concerns the national and international food supply of the population. The fourth aspect concerns the development of rural areas. The fifth aspect of civic education as an implementation in teaching is an element of the development of a European economic area with the dimension of global learning.