Neighbouring farmer Johan Wadborg has just lost the battle for the land of 57 hectares in the Land and Environment Court.

"It's absurd and feels a bit contradictory. After all, a bakery needs grain.

Skåne's agricultural land is classified as one of the world's best. According to a calculation made by SVT, it is possible to grow wheat annually to the equivalent of 1 million loaves on the land that is now being destroyed.

"Of course, it would have been better if arable land had not been taken over by our bakery, because we live in symbiosis with Swedish agriculture. But this particular location is strategically very good for us to establish our business in," says Berith Apelgren, Pågen's Head of Sustainability.

Landskrona gets more jobs

The court gives the city, which sold the land to Pågen for SEK 110 million, the right to use the field for the industrial building.

Agricultural land may not be paved unless there is a substantial public interest according to the Environmental Code.

But the court is clear that Landskrona, which has not been able to point out anything other than arable land to build on in its investigation, has no responsibility for seeing if there is other land that is not as valuable outside the municipality that is better suited to exploit.

– Not to take advantage of the unique location between the E6 and the West Coast Line, expensive infrastructure paid for by the state, would be unreasonable, says Torkild Strandberg (L), municipal commissioner in Landskrona.

Agricultural land important safety issue in Sweden

Every year, 600 hectares of agricultural land are exploited in Sweden and there is no authority with overall responsibility, but it is up to each individual municipality to make a balance.

The National Expert Council on Climate Change Adaptation states that agricultural land is a strategic resource that should be linked to the country's security.

The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency highlights the importance of agricultural land from a preparedness perspective and the Swedish Board of Agriculture stated as early as 2013 that agricultural land is being exploited without the considerations and decision support required by legislation.

These bodies want the government to review today's legislation.