“Virginija Podėnienė, professor of biodiversity at VilniusUniversity, says that aggressive farming is reducing the biological value ofthe soil. This threatens with a decrease in yield, higher investments andpollution of water bodies.”
Our deep concern and anger about the state of Lithuania’s soil is understandable – it is indeed a critically important state resource that determines our food security and the future of nature.
Why did farmers find themselves in such a situation?
• Economic pressure: For decades, market laws and large buyers have demanded the cheapest possible production. In order to survive and compete in the global market, farmers are forced to maximize yields, often using intensive chemical farming methods. Who in Lithuania does not want to maximize money? No fools.
• Lack of knowledge and support: There has been a long lack of government support and clear guidelines for switching to more sustainable, soil-conserving technologies.
• Financial risk: Switching to organic or sustainable farming (such as no-till direct sowing) requires significant investments in new equipment, and the first years are often unprofitable due to reduced yields.
What are politicians and bureaucrats doing?
Major changes are currently underway in Lithuania and the European Union (EU), although they are often criticized for being too slow:
• The EU Green Deal: Politicians are trying to address this crisis through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Currently, direct payments to farmers are increasingly linked to so-called “eco-schemes” – financial incentives for growing catch crops, no-till farming and reducing chemical fertilizers.
• Increasingly stringent requirements: The bureaucratic apparatus is constantly tightening control over the use of nitrates and pesticides in order to protect groundwater and soil.
• Reasons for slowness: Changes are stalling because they are trying to find a balance between environmental protection and the country's economic stability. A sudden radical restriction on fertilizers could drastically reduce food production and raise prices for consumers.
Many Lithuanian farmers themselves notice the deteriorating quality of their soil and are actively looking for solutions, but this requires consistent support from state leaders, not just bans. If there is no such support, there is no such support. Leaders are collecting kickbacks from the defense industry and buying villas in Greece. Just in case.
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