EU scientists urge inclusion of farmers in new nature law

Scientists emphasize the necessity of including farmers in the EU's proposed nature restoration law to ensure its success, following extensive protests that have threatened the initiative.

Patrick Greenfield reports for The Guardian.

In short:

• Leading global biodiversity researchers advocate for empowering farmers to enhance agricultural sustainability, stressing the importance of their role in combating climate and biodiversity crises.
• The EU nature restoration law, under threat after farmer protests and lacking support from some member states, aims to reverse the decline in biodiversity across the EU.
• The open letter underscores the crucial balance between agricultural productivity and nature conservation, calling for policies that support both.

Why this matters:

The emerging narrative is not solely about economics and environmentalism—it's about a symbiosis that can nurture both the land and those who live off it. In crafting this law, the EU stands at a crossroads where science meets tradition, where the knowledge of generations of farmers could help forge a sustainable future. Emphasizing the inclusion of farmers ensures that the law is not just an edict passed down from on high, but a collective endeavor that recognizes the stewards of the land as indispensable allies.

In 2019, EHN writer Kevin Walker explored how our relationship to food banishes nature and the environment to the periphery of how we live, instead of at the center.