THE CLIMATE AND SOILS OF EEC-10 ARE DESCRIBED. LAND USE TRUCTURE IS QUANTIFIED BY COUNTRY AND TRENDS IN LAND USE PRESENTED. THE UTILISED AGRICULTURAL AREA IS DECLINING WITH CORRESPONDING TRANSFERS TO SEVERAL USES, WOODLAND, URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER LAND. RECENT CHANGES IN ARABLE LAND USE BALANCE INDICATE AN EXPANSION IL OILSEEDS AND GREEN FODDER AND A CONTRACTION IN ROOT CROPS.

THE EEC-10 LAND BASE IS EVALUATED FOR BOTH ARABLE AND GRASSLAND USES. IT IS SHOWN THAT ONLY 30.63 M HA (20%) ARE HIGHLY SUITED F/TO ARABLE CROPPING AND 48.14 M HA ARE UNSUITED. FOR GRASSLAND, 43.04 M HA (28%) ARE HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE AND 54.88 M HA(35.5) ARE UNSUITED OR CHARACTERISED BY BERY LOW PRODUCTIVITY. SUITABILITY DATA ARE PRESENTED FOR EACH MEMBER COUNTRY TOGETHER WITH A CARTOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF RESULTS.

ARABLE CROPS YIELDS ARE EXAMINED IN RELATION TO AGROECOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT. THERE IS A CLEAR DEMARCATION BETWEEN THE MARINE/TEMPERATE AND MEDITERRANEAN ZONES IN RESPECT TO CEREAL YIELDS WITH NORTH-WEST EUROPE, BENELUX, PARIS BASIN AND SCHLESWIG/HOLSTEIN RECORDING HIGHEST YIELDS, AND ITALY, GREECE AND PARTS OF FRANCE RECORDING LOWEST YIELDS. HIGHEST GRAIN MAIZE YIELDS OCCUR UNDET TEMPERATE MEDITERRANEAN CONDITIONS OF THE PO VALLEY (UNDER IRRAGATION) AND THE WARM TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS OF THE PARIS BASIN. HIGHEST SUGAR BEET YIELDS OCCUR UNDER MEDITERRANEAN CONDITIONS (UNDER IRRIGATION).

FUTURE EEC-10 LAND REQUIREMENTS FOR CEREALS, GRASSLAND, SUGAR BEET, POTATOES, PROTEIN CROPS, FORESTRY AND URBAN USES ARE ANALYSED, AND POSTULATED LAND USE SCENARIO FOR THE YEAR 2000 IS PRESENTED. THE ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT LAND UNDER ARABLE USAGE COULD BE IN SURPLUS TO THE EXTENT OF 10 M HA (20% OF EXISTING EEC ARABLE AERA). THE ANALYSIS ALSO INDICATES A GRASSLAND SURPLUS. THROUGH A CONSIDERATION OF THE ECOLOGIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE MOST PROMISING FERMANTATION CROPS, (E.G. SUGAR BEET, FODDER BEET, SUGAR CANE, WHEAT, MAIZE, POTATO AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE), AND FIBER CROPS (E.G. FLAX, HEMP, ESPRATO, SUNFLOWER, SORGHUM AND REEDS) THE GEOGRAPHIC OCCURENCE OF THE MOST SUITED AREAS HAS BEEN CARTOGRAPHICALLY DELINEATED.

IN CONCLUSION THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ON FUTURE CROP YIELDS IS EXAMINED. PREDICTION ARE MADE OF LIKELY PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES AND DATA ARE PRESENTED ON THE SUBSTITUTION OF TECHNOLOGY FOR LAND.