“Over 2,500 scientists have sent a letter to the European Parliament outlining “catastrophic declines” suffered by birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects from intensive agricultural practices.
“The letter details the effects that an increasingly intensive agriculture model is having on biodiversity, with the scientists calling for a “far-reaching reform” of the bloc’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
“The EU is currently deliberating over the next iteration of the CAP under which payments to farmers account for over one-third of the EU budget.
“The letter from five leading biodiversity foundations, including the European Ornithologists Union and European Mammal Foundation, supports a move to transform the CAP to respond to climate change and biodiversity loss.
“The letter lays the blame for intensification at the current structure of the CAP that it says has encouraged landscape simplification and consolidation, major increases in pesticide use, irrigation expansion and the destruction of pasture lands.”
Full report at this link on Green News ie:
https://greennews.ie/cap-reform-scientists-biodiversity/
Bernard Moffatt
Assistant General Secretary Celtic League (5th November 2019)
