Scientists from across Europe call for swift and effective action from the EU with regard to its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Scientists from across Europe call for swift and effective action from the EU with regard to its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In a position paper written by 21 authors and coordinated by scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the University of Rostock, the EU Commission’s current reform proposals were identified as inadequate. Billions of euros of taxpayers' money are about to be poured down the drain – making it unlikely to reach the set climate and nature conservation targets or the envisaged social objectives. The researchers are proposing ten measures for a sustainable and fair agricultural policy. Over 3,600 signatories support the call for action.
The European Union is currently deciding on funding guidelines for its common agricultural policy for the next seven years. There is a lot of money at stake: in 2019, the EU spent 58 billion euros, a good third of its annual budget, on funding agriculture and rural development. These public funds are primarily used to guarantee farmers' incomes, including intensive agriculture.
According to the World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), intensive agriculture is the number one cause of biodiversity loss and associated ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being. For example, the decline in numbers of insects leads to decreased pollination of food plants or a lack of plant pest control through natural enemies. Intensive farming also promotes emission of climate gases and contributes to soil and water pollution.
Public awareness of the value of biological diversity is growing, and, at the same time, so is public rejection of the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP). According to a 2016 survey carried out on behalf of the EU Commission, 92 percent of the citizens surveyed and 64 percent of the farmers considered the CAP funding for environmental and climate protection to be insufficient.
Read more at German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Image: A structurally rich landscape is pleasing to the eye, promotes biodiversity and also benefits farmers. (Credit: Sebastian Lakner)
