Before a crucial vote, scientists from German research institutions are urging EU parliamentarians to approve an important EU nature conservation law. This is under pressure because Christian Democrats in the EU Parliament are up in arms against the project. They see this as a threat to food security.
The law restricts the use of agricultural land, said CDU MEP Christine Schneider. When asked, she emphasized that for her, food security also means that food is affordable.
Helge Bruelheide, Professor of Geobotany at the University of Halle, contradicts the thesis that the project endangers a secure supply of food. “The greatest threats to food security, they all stem from climate change,” he told journalists on Wednesday evening. And according to Bruelheide, the law helps to mitigate its consequences for agriculture.
Decided on the project
Researchers from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, the University of Rostock and the University of Duisburg-Essen also spoke out in favor of the project. Together with more than 3000 scientists, they signed an open letter.
The “Law for the Restoration of Nature” is intended to protect ecosystems from collapse. It aims to rewet drained moors, reforest forests and bring more green into cities.
CDU politician Schneider is bothered by the fact that it is not clear exactly how the legislation could affect the prices and production of food and feed. Sebastian Lakner from the University of Rostock said it is difficult to make such predictions about food prices. He only assumes small losses in harvests. Phenomena such as extreme weather are significantly more harmful. If there is no majority for the environmental law, it risks being put on hold for a long time.
