Biodiversity and Management of Agricultural Landscapes – Comprehensive Action is urgently needed (2020)

Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in Germany has declined sharply in recent years, even in nature reserves. In their joint statement “Biodiversity and Management of Agricultural Landscapes,” the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities make recommendations in eight areas of action. They identify the protection of biodiversity as an urgent and complex challenge. They say that a society-wide shift toward sustainable agriculture is needed. It is important to take into account the economic, political, legal, and social conditions in agriculture. The scientists therefore recommend a systemic approach with diverse, parallel solutions. The most important starting point is the subsidy payments under the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In the future, these should be more closely linked to actual and measurable ecosystem services.

Accompanying the statement, the Leopoldina has made available a digital dossier that presents the topic in a clear and interactive way.