Politicians in the Alpine paradise: How wolves threaten alpine farming!

Politicians in the Alpine paradise: How wolves threaten alpine farming!

On September 2, 2025, an information visit on the topic of alpine farming took place in Mittenwald, at the Seinsalm and Brandle-Alm in the Karwendel Mountains. Numerous celebrities from politics and nature conservation met there to find out about the current challenges facing alpine farming. Among the participants were Carstenträger, the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, as well as Enrico Corongiu, the First Mayor of Mittenwald, and Carmen Wegge, the SPD representative for the Weilheim-Schongau-Garmisch-Partenkirchen constituency. District Administrator Anton Speer and several representatives of farmers' associations and pasture cooperatives were also present Mercury reports.

The visit was particularly aimed at addressing the new protected status of the wolf. In his speech, Enrico Corongiu highlighted the importance of alpine farming for the cultural landscape and addressed the challenges posed by the presence of wolves. The alpine farmers said that they could not adequately protect their pasture areas against wolves due to the Alpine conditions. Germany also submitted a report to the European Commission on the conservation status of protected species and plans to address changes to the Federal Nature Conservation Act and the inclusion of wolves in hunting law in the coming months.

Alpine farming in transition

Alpine farming has a long tradition in the Alpine region. It was created through the clearing of forests, and many alpine pastures are vital for agriculture ANL described. But there has been a dramatic change here since the 1950s: a lack of labor and the intensification of the valley areas led to a neglect of alpine pasture care, which in many cases led to forestation and the loss of biological diversity. In Bavaria, where there are around 1,400 alpine pastures, these cover around 7% of the Bavarian area and 1.5% of the German area.

Alpine pastures are more than just pastures; they are also highly biodiverse habitats. Over 50% of the montane to alpine grassland communities and moors are located in the grazing area of ​​alpine pastures. The location-appropriate management of these pastures is crucial for maintaining biodiversity. This also has an impact on animal husbandry: young cattle require at least one hectare of forage area per alpine season, which underlines the importance of the alpine pastures for livestock breeding.

Nature and conservation

Agriculture is closely linked to landscape and biodiversity. In Germany, around half of the area is used for agriculture, which requires the formation and preservation of cultural landscapes. This statement confirms BFN, emphasizing that farming methods have changed significantly in recent decades. At the same time, intensive agriculture leads to a decline in species, as demanding plants and animals disappear from intensively used areas. It is therefore important to develop integrative conservation approaches with farmers to promote biodiversity.

The visit ended with an open discussion over a snack on the Brandle-Alm, which shows how important direct exchange between politicians and the population is. Carmen Wegge emphasized that such on-site visits are essential to better understand the challenges people face. Preserving the Alpine cultural landscape and supporting alpine farming remains a central goal pursued by those present. The discussion about the challenges is in full swing, but together we will try to find solutions to secure the tradition of the alpine pastures for future generations.