The world's population is growing, making it necessary to produce and secure an increasingly larger amount of food. The materials for its production are acquired through production agriculture.
Methods and opportunities for increasing the production agricultural commodities differ in various regions of the world. Differences between developed and developing countries are particularly noticeable.
During the second half of the twentieth century, Europe saw efforts to produce the most agricultural commodities possible per unit of land, in other words efforts to intensify agriculture. Over time, however, in connection with lifestyle changes in society, demand is changing the character and structure of agricultural commodities.
Demand for ecologically clean, wholesome (not chemically altered) agricultural products is growing. Agricultural production itself is reacting to this changing situation in the world's developed countries.