Biodiversity
What about biodiversity on our planet? Here you will find an overview of the status quo.
Biodiversity loss is accelerating worldwide. The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) estimates in its 2019 Global Assessment Report:
Global extinction of species is higher than ever before in human history. The global food system is primarily responsible for this. Our food production currently relies heavily on the use of fertilisers, pesticides, energy, land and water, as well as unsustainable farming practices such as mono culture and intensive soil cultivation. These practices reduce the diversity of landscapes and habitats.
Without reform of our food system, biodiversity loss will continue to accelerate. Our diets need to shift to a diet consisting mainly of plant products, as animal farming has a disproportionate impact on biodiversity, land use and the environment. Food waste must also be significantly reduced to increase resource efficiency.
More land needs to be protected and agriculture needs to become more nature-friendly, promoting biodiversity, limiting the use of chemicals and replacing mono cultures with poly cultures. Such a shift would also benefit the health of the population and help reduce the risk of pandemics.
Source: IPBES (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
