Denmark to plant 1 billion trees, turn 10% of farmland into forest [Video]

COPENHAGEN, Denmark –

Danish lawmakers on Monday agreed on a deal to plant one billion trees and convert 10 per cent of farmland into forest and natural habitats over the next two decades in an effort to reduce fertilizer usage.

The government called the agreement “the biggest change to the Danish landscape in over 100 years.”

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“The Danish nature will change in a way we have not seen since the wetlands were drained in 1864,” said Jeppe Bruus, head of Denmark’s Green Tripartite Ministry, created to implement a green deal reached in June among farmers, the industry, the labour unions and environmental groups.

Under the agreement, 43 billion kroner (US$6.1 billion) have been earmarked to acquire land from farmers over the next two decades, the government said.

Danish forests would grow on an additional 250,000 hectares (618,000 acres), and another 140,000 hectares (346,000 acres), which are currently cultivated on climate-damaging low-lying soils, must …