Livestock production is still the basis of Danish agriculture, yielding products like cheese to Europe, the Middle East and USA, pork to Japan, and fresh and processed meats to countries all over the world. Production has been aided by fertile product development, by new types of milk and new breeds of cattle and pigs.

Although Danish farmers were independent land owners, they chose at an early stage to form co-operatives for their purchases, production and sales activities. The co-operative movement spread quickly, and it has since been taken into use in many other countries. The first known co-operative dairy was set up in Denmark in 1822. Ever since the farm reforms gave the peasants their freedom, Danish legislation has stipulated that a farm holding must be large enough to support a family. Even today, only 15% of Danish farms have full-time employees. For many years, legislation also prevented public companies from owning farming enterprises, but this restriction was removed in 1989.

In addition to the home market, Danish farmers supply the needs of a population equivalent to the combined total numbers of residents in New York and Tokyo.