After World War 2, why did European farmers switch from crop cultivation to grazing?
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There are many reasons why a farmer could opt for grazing instead of growing crops post-war.
- Soil quality. There are areas that just are not suited for crops. Others pretty much require heavy use of fertilizer, which usually was not be available.
- Labor / tools / fuel requirements. You need to plow and harrow, sow and reap. Grazing is much less labor-intensive (as per the comments of SJuan76 and Dohn Joe).
- Availability of seeds (as per Pieter Geerkens comment).
- Infrastructure / marketability of the produce. Selling large amounts of grain needs buyers of large amounts of grain.
Right after the war, a lot of trade was done on the individual level, as much of the infrastructure (both technical and commercial) was destroyed. People from the cities travelled large distances to "acquire" foodstuffs directly. A piece of ham, or better even, sausages, was easier to transport than a sack of potatoes. Easier to smuggle through a checkpoint, too...
I'd love to give sources on this, but this is as anecdotal as it gets, coming from my grandparents. ;-)
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