Biodiversity and Management of Agricultural Landscapes (2020)

The biodiversity in Germany's agricultural landscape has declined considerably in recent years, even in nature reserves. In their joint statement “Biodiversity and Management of Agricultural Landscapes – Wide-ranging action is now crucial”, the German Academies of Sciences make recommendations in eight fields of action. They state the protection of biodiversity as an urgent and complex challenge. A change in society as a whole towards sustainable farming is required. It is important to also take the economic, political, legal, and social parameters of agriculture into account. Thus, the scientists recommend a systematic approach, implementing a variety of solutions at the same time. As the most important starting point, subsidies paid to the agricultural industry as part of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (CAP) should be more closely tied to quantifiable ecosystem services that have actually been provided.