BirdLife Europe and Central Asia’s Post

Do you know which is the largest terrestrial biome on our planet?       It’s the agricultural land!      Stats indicate that the agriculture sector carries 11%⁓ emission weightage, but Food systems are responsible for roughly one-third of emissions (Scope 1, 2, 3 combined) thereby creating opportunity for climate change mitigation, considering that agriculture is often overlooked in these discussions. Coming to animal agriculture, simply stating that there are 34.4 billion chickens worldwide compared to a human population of 8.1 billion depicts the (un)sustainability of the sector.     🌱 Solutions Worth Discussing 🌱  1. Methane and Carbon Tax: implementation on animal agriculture and a carbon tax on carbon-intensive foods.  2. Transparent Reporting and Labelling: depicting greenhouse gas reporting thereby Setting high global standards so that consumers aren’t misled    3. Subsidy Reallocation: My only question is why my low-impact plant-based food is more expensive than equivalent animal product.    4. Diverse Food Systems: Working on diversity rather than expansion and taking an interdisciplinary approach on individual as well as institutional levels.    5. Global Governance Reform: Generate scholarly attention on food systems and reform its global governance.     So, should we still be hesitating on addressing food cultures if we are to save the planet? Source: Plant Based Treaty Safe and Just Report(2023)     #ClimateAction #SustainableAgriculture #FoodSystems #ClimateChangeMitigation   

The The New York Times has an insightful Easter article* from rural France about the 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞. Intriguingly, the article is silent about the detrimental impacts of climate change & nature degradation on farming itself. A fake solution appears to be in the making: sticking to traditions will make the problems go away. In reality, we must fundamentally change our agri-food system. We do this either by design - in agreement with farmers - or by disaster. I strongly prefer design. The European Commission ' Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture'** is aimed establishing such consensual transformation. Do join this endeavor to reconcile agriculture and the preservation of nature to build a conceptual consensus on how  agriculture, food and feed, the environment, rural areas, and so forth could and should look like. With Erica Johnson ( Agreena) I put down some thoughts*** in February as the 2040 EU climate target was flagged by the European Commission. Our approach and closing lines resonates with the angry farmers: "Farmers need to have a seat at the political table and meeting net zero targets should come from synergistic mechanisms and collaboration. Their calls for navigating the CAP with ease need to be met, and knowledge and financial barriers must be overcome. Similar to the energy transition, the upfront costs of transforming agricultural practices is significant, but provide long-term gains. Agriculture’s transformation needs a ‘financing green – greening finance’ approach: from a revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and additional incentives and revenues generated through carbon markets, every cent counts to mobilise farmers and support them with the burdensome upfront costs of new equipment and risks associated with making their transition. It is critical that this transformation and the pathway to net zero is just, with farmers provided access to fair market value for the valuable ecosystem services they provide. Recognising farmers as the stewards of the land who are sustaining us all – we must as policymakers, businesses, financiers, carbon credit buyers, and civil society – work together to prioritise them and support their transition with acceleration." #farming #farmers #agriculture #climatechange #nature #CAP #sustainability #greendeal #farmtofork #farmersprotest

Good but frustrating read covering the recent frictions on agriculture, climate and biodiversity policies. As for any physical interaction, friction is necessary to generate a dynamic. In the best case, friction will allow you to move forward. In the worst case, you have irreversible wear and possible destruction. Unfortunately, shortly before EU elections, the worst scenario occurred. Because of wrong political responses, we have the three pillars of our life support system competing against each other (the article is not addressing the issues around renewable energy affecting biodiversity) while they should be reinforcing each other. Voters must understand that there will be no agriculture without a stable climate and a healthy biodiversity. Inversely, agriculture being key to climate change and biodiversity loss, agricultural practices and associated economic models must also change. If we don't urgently sit and work together on a sustainable plan for each pillar we will all lose. To sacrifice one pillar to save another will simply dismantle the basic foundation required to support our common house. This needs to be clear to all political parties. PS: there is actually a fourth pillar to our life support system, raw materials... #Agriculture #Biodiversity #Climate #Foodsecurity #ClimateChange #BiodiversityLoss

Uzbekistan should do that too

Wow - we're giving our soils and our climate a real chance to rebound within our lifetime.. It is moving to see this kind of policy emerge, giving the rest of the world a blueprint and language around how regenerative practices and soil health principles can shape future legislation.. Yet, what energizes me most here is the fact that Philippe Birker, farmers and the Climate Farmers team changed the course of this legislation through dialogue with the opposition. Here in the US, the amount of charge or tension dominating just about all political issues - creates a dynamic with no dialogue at all. To know that meaningful conversation between opposing sides led to the adoption and next steps of this policy proves that the diversity of ideas that dialogue brings is an incredibly powerful tool to cultivate richer, more resilient outcomes - much like in our soil. Ultimately, this may change the course of humans on earth.

A little policy tale with a potential happy ending. 60% of our soils in Europe are degraded, leading to reduced productivity, biodiversity loss, and increased vulnerability to climate change, tendency rising. This is ultimately threatening food security in Europe and has led to the first European politicians waking up and kickstarting the EU Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience. The goal of the directive is to have all soils in Europe in a healthy condition by 2050. If adopted this would mean major funding for regeneration of soils and the way to get there would, of course, be regenerative agriculture. So this is a vital directive for the regenerative agriculture movement in Europe. Now, for a directive to pass, it has to go through several steps. It was first proposed by the European Commission in July 2023. Then, it moved to the European Parliament, which adopted it in April 2024. Then it moved to the Council of the EU for further discussion and approval before it can be formally adopted. The EU Council adopted it during its meeting on June 17, 2024 and now it moved back to the European Parliament for the second last step. The EP voted on this on Monday evening and if approved then the last step is “interinstitutional negotiations” between the different EU institutions for final adoption. The problem is we had recent elections in Europe and with it came a new EU parliament with a strong EPP, the center right party, that was positioned against the adoption of this directive. In the last weeks a coalition of private and public actors, farmers and us at Climate Farmers were contacting members of the EPP urging them to adopt the directive and outlining why this would make sense. With the end result that we were able to change their position. The EPP voted in favor of the directive and it passed. For me, this was incredibly good news on Monday evening and an important sign that we all have the power to influence politics when working together. It is a good reminder that we have to continue raising our voices, because at least sometimes politicians listen and do the right thing.

Exciting news for Europe's soil health: The EU Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience is progressing. With 60% of soils in Europe degraded, this directive aims to regenerate our soils and secure a healthier future for both agriculture and biodiversity. Healthy soils are the foundation of resilient ecosystems and productive farming, playing a pivotal role in climate change mitigation and ensuring food security. Only few steps left for this directive to become a reality, and we are hopeful this will lead to major funding for soil regeneration and regenerative agriculture in Europe. 👉At Futureco Bioscience, we are committed to improving soil health with #Genomaat, our cutting-edge platform that combines agronomic, physical, chemical, and metagenomic data to provide a functional map of the #SoilEcosystem together with tailored #biological solutions for improved crop management and increased productivity. This directive marks a significant step towards healthier soils in Europe, and we believe it will be crucial for developing a more sustainable global agricultural system. #SoilHealth #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateAction #Biodiversity #Sustainability #SoilRegeneration #SustainableAgriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture #SustainableEurope #biologicals

Success and breakthrough happens! Philippe Birker recaps: „In the last weeks a coalition of private and public actors, farmers and us at Climate Farmers were contacting members of the European People's Party urging them to adopt the directive and outlining why this would make sense. With the end result that we were able to change their position. The EPP voted in favor of the directive and it passed.“ This breakthrough on the #EU Directive on #Soil Monitoring and #Resilience is a strong reminder that the impossible has often been the untried, and that attitudes change, one conversation at the time. We at AGORA European Green Deal - The non-profit arm of European Commons aporoach the new EU cycle with this conviction and passion. However, we also need you now: 1. to build momentum and nourish strategic unity on the economic and social transition to #climate neutrality in any C-Suite meetings 2. to support rather than shun #visionaries and #changemakers in your daily surroundings. In words and in deeds. 3. to practice an openness and curiosity about what others can bring to the profession, the region, or, the #SituationRoom of your organisation or regional stakeholders table. 4. to invest in or donate for seemingly soft and intangible activities like talking, coming together at the local street island or the farmers coop. The secret behind Philippe‘s story and about the #GreenDeal in the big picture is and will have been 1000x1000 face-to-face conversations in every corner from #Madrid to #Warsaw and #Cantabria to #Bavaria. 5. to accept that acts of magic are precious - yet they are not televised - or on instagram. The people who weave the threads between sectors, places, interests, and silos are usually invisible. Yet they are both #beacons and #backbones to a continent in transition. Systems Transformation Hub Cristina Gallach Laurence Tubiana Monica Araya Laura Maanavilja Damian Boeselager Leonore Gewessler Othmar Karas Valérie Hayer Daniel Sachs Giorgiana Notarbartolo di Villarosa Peter Jelinek Irmi Salzer Johanna Mair Tina Deutsch Arnaud Montebourg Hélène Masliah-Gilkarov (she/her) Otto Scharmer Hemma Rüggen Sabine Wachernig Johannes Ortner Scarlett Varga (She/Her) Dr. Rainer Esser Mirjam DONDI Ivan Vejvoda

Uzbekistan should do that too

The European Parliament has voted to ease environmental requirements in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), providing Member States with more leeway to define sustainable farming practices and making some of the obligations voluntary. This dangerous move will remove biodiversity and soil protections, as well as practices that help reduce dependency on pesticides and increase climate resilience.   This vote goes against all available science and the long-term interests of society, healthy food systems and farmers. It undermines the credibility of the CAP and the governance of EU agriculture policy.   Lastly, it does not address the main concerns of farmers, as explained in this blog by Harriet Bradley and Kaley Hart 👇 https://lnkd.in/e7WapRDM Our research clearly highlights that sustainability and resilience go hand in hand and that a clear EU plan for a fair and green transition of agri-food systems is needed. For more evidence 👇 1️⃣ Read our latest report, prepared by Melanie Muro, Robin van Dijk, Axel G. and Elisabet Nadeu on the potential of sustainable agriculture practices to increase the resilience of wheat, potatoes, and olives production, three key products of EU agriculture.  👉 https://lnkd.in/exvqeN4w   2️⃣ Read our blog produced for Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung proposing how the next European Commission (2024–2029) should carry forward the goals of the Farm to Fork Strategy, and actions to meet its targets, especially as the EU is currently stalling many of its aspects in light of recent farmer protests. 👉 https://lnkd.in/euPt7QNc 3️⃣ Read our post-2024 vision to transform EU land use and the Common Agricultural Policy in the coming decade. 👉 https://lnkd.in/esaAGcnV #CommonAgriculturalPolicy #CAP #SustainableFoodSystems #EUGreenDeal #SustainableAgriculture #Biodiversity #Farming #FarmtoFork