In Germany, agricultural land is constantly being used for construction work, but is also required for the subsequent nature conservation compensation. This often results in a "double" loss of land for agricultural production, which is needed for sustainable and regional food production. It also increases the already existing pressure on the remaining agricultural land to achieve the highest possible yields, i.e. to cultivate the land as intensively as possible. This pressure is the reason why our agricultural landscape is currently so extensively structured and cleared. Diversified structures and small-scale, varied agricultural areas, which are essential for nature conservation, are a rarity.

One approach to mitigating the conflict between compensation and agricultural land use is production-integrated compensation (PiK). Compensation measures on agricultural land are integrated into production, i.e. further agricultural land use is made possible while at the same time enhancing nature conservation and increasing biodiversity. The agricultural management of the land also ensures the long-term maintenance and implementation of the compensation.

For example, it is possible to achieve a high impact through production-integrated compensation measures with low land requirements that are coordinated with agriculture. The joint search for areas that are less lucrative for agricultural production, but on which a high level of nature conservation enhancement can take place, is also worthwhile. Areas that are no longer in agricultural use, such as former vineyards on steep slopes, can often be used specifically for compensation purposes. In this way, interventions for compensation in the agricultural landscape and also in its valuable arable soils can often be avoided and yet high-quality nature conservation compensation can be carried out on alternative areas.