The EU Commission has presented a strategy to halt the decline of biodiversity in the EU. The strategy adopted on May 3rd features six priority targets and accompanying actions including: implementation of existing nature protection legislation and network of natural reserves, improving and restoring ecosystems and ecosystem services, ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and forestry activities, safeguarding and protecting EU fish stocks, controlling invasive species and stepping up the EU’s contribution to concerted global action to avert biodiversity loss.

The strategy is in line with two major commitments made by EU leaders in March 2010 – halting the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2020, and protecting, valuing and restoring EU biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2050.

 

Pressure to introduce GM crops in the EU threatens this new commitment. GM cultivation on a global scale has greatly reduced biodiversity due to land change usage and the higher levels of pesticides associated with GM cultivation.

 

In an interview in a Romanian paper today EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloş says he strongly favours traditional agriculture that produces quality food, diverse diets and natural biodiversity, requirements which genetically-modified crops cannot satisfy and which should not be threatened by gm crop production.

 

“There is a lot of demand on European natural resources and they must be protected in order to sustain us” said Dr. Sinead Neiland Chairperson of IOFGA, “insect pollination has an estimated economic value of €15billion in the EU. Organic agriculture protects and encourages biodiversity which means that organic food is truly sustainable”.

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For more information contact:

 

Grace Maher Development Officer IOA tel 087 6125989

 

In the next couple of weeks two interesting events are taking place which should be of interest to organic farmers, producers and general members of the public. The first one takes place in Dublin on Thursday 28th of April and is titled Low External Input Agriculture - the only road to a Sustainable Food Supply. For more details visit www.feasta.org/events/general/2011 .

The second event takes place on Saturday April 30th at The Methodist Hall, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary. This event is being Chaired by Dr. Sinead Neiland, Chairperson of IOFGA. The title for the public meeting is What organic and low-input has to offer growers, their customers and the plants. Speakers include Gundula Azeez, a former policy adviser to the Soil Association, Martin Peck an organic sheep farmer from Wales and Joe Condon an IOA certified organic beef farmer from South Tipperary who specialised in uphill farming. All enquiries to Feasta [email protected] or tel 086 3642728.

The debate about GM foods has intensified and this article in the Sunday Business Post on Sunday 27th March covers the lastest news in Ireland on GM http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/wholestory.aspx-qqqt=INSIDE-STORY-qqqs=agenda-qqqsectionid=3-qqqc=10.1.0.0-qqqn=1-qqqx=1.asp

A well established organic vegetable farm is seeking to hire an experienced farm manager for more information, job description and contact details go to www.beechlawnfarm.org