As the anger within the agricultural community simmers, biodiversity professionals are speaking out in a recent op-ed, to which TerrOïko contributed.
It is available in full on the Actu-Environnement website, and we offer here some extensive excerpts:
« [...]] We regret the pervasive narrative that pits ‘environment’ against ‘agriculture,’ which does not reflect the reality of their interconnection. Biodiversity and agricultural production are not mutually exclusive!
Like all human activities, agriculture is an integral part of living systems. We believe that biodiversity is not just about species, but encompasses all our interdependent relationships with nature.
Balance does not exist today. The loss of biodiversity is a vicious cycle, including for farmers on the ground.
This manifests as a lack of water that is now annual for some farms, a loss of productivity, soil depletion, and an increased aggressiveness of pests...
One of the structural challenges of agricultural production is to reintegrate biodiversity into a holistic vision of land-use planning through ecological engineering.
Our vision is one of agriculture that relies on living systems, integrates with living systems, and is financially rewarding for our farmers.
This challenge requires a paradigm shift, changes in practices, and a rethinking of how we conceive the performance of a farm beyond just food production.
The small steps we are taking on the ground (the return of hedgerows, care for soil quality, preservation of pollinators...) are often used as a ‘good excuse’ to say, ‘we are doing something.’ [...]
The actions of the agricultural sector in favor of biodiversity and the common good must contribute to ensuring decent incomes. To this end, we advocate for establishing a revenue stream for the preservation and restoration of living systems and the services they provide (protection against flooding, air quality, etc.).
We must collectively fund this revenue throughout the food production process: agro-food companies, local authorities, and consumers.
We are convinced that biodiversity represents an exciting lever for action. It is one of the keys to helping the agricultural sector adapt to climate change and continue its noble mission of feeding us.”