Europe forges new bonds between agriculture and biodiversity

Fresh Avocado

Belgium

Germany

Published Jan 31, 2024

Tridge summary

The EU is shifting towards more ecological agriculture due to the rising environmental and economic costs of industrial farming. Initiatives such as the BioMonitor4CAP project are monitoring biodiversity in agriculture across Europe and Peru, using both technology and traditional methods. The results will inform EU policies, including the Common Agricultural Policy, to boost biodiversity and improve soil ecosystems. A new European law, approved in 2023, aims to improve the sustainability of the EU's food systems through extensive data collection, supported by tools like LIFT that measure agricultural sustainability.

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Original content

As the environmental and economic costs of industrial farming grow, so do opportunities to spur an ecological change.For avocado farmers in Peru, it appears to be a boom time. Their production has increased sixfold over the past decade to meet growing demand abroad.But appearances can deceive.These and other single-crop growers are now grappling with rising energy and fertilizer costs and increasing public awareness of the adverse effects of pesticides, according to Brenton Ladd, a researcher at the Scientific University of the South, or UCSUR, near the Peruvian capital Lima."The industrial model of agriculture production begins to look less viable," Ladd said.In agriculture, growing only one crop—monoculture—has tended to encourage increased output by lowering overall costs. But these so-called economies of scale have brought with them environmental threats resulting from intensive production.Now, single-crop farming is increasingly an economic risk for producers themselves.The ...

Source: Phys