ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses why agricultural land is being changed to other land uses and the potential that exists to influence these changes within today's agricultural policy structures. Applying the notion of 'driving forces' in order to undertake a contextual analysis, it examines why agricultural land use is changing in Hallnas in Sweden and Sandnes in Norway. In Hallnas, all farmers interviewed shared the characteristic that their farming mainly stemmed from non-financial motives - an interest in working with soil and animals, a curiosity to try different land management methods and/or a sense of responsibility to keep the land farmed. The chapter examines agricultural lands, changes referred to as land use change are from agricultural land to, for instance, forestry, nature conservation areas, fallow land, infrastructure or housing. A number of studies have focused on agricultural land use change, often using a predefined categorisation involving five 'key driving forces', which are formulated as physical environment, socio-economic environment, technology, culture and policy.
