Biodiversity & nature

Agriculture

How we farm and use the land has major implications. Depending on how it is done land use can protect or destroy biodiversity, protect or damage water resources and destroy or enrich soils.

Today in the EU, farming practices are still a major cause of environmental degradation. For example the run off from agricultural land contributes to 50-80% of the total nitrogen load in water and has remained constant over the last 30 years. Globally agriculture accounts for 70% of the consumption of freshwater resources.

Yet the introduction of more efficient irrigation practices, more drought resistant crops and increased efficiency in the transference and application of water could save up to 60% of the water used, depending on the region and technologies.