IFOAM Biodiversity Campaign 'poweredbynature'

Introducing the IFOAM Biodiversity and Eco-Intensification Campaign 'poweredbynature'

Industrial agriculture is the main cause of global deforestation and habitat loss

(Bonn, May 21) The 22nd of May marks the international day of biodiversity. Committed to supporting this cause, IFOAM enlisted as official partner of the U.N.’s International Year of Biodiversity and is actively promoting biodiversity on different fronts: On the 15th of June IFOAM will co-host the Pre-SusCon Conference entitled 'Biodiversity and Organic Farming' in Nuremberg. On our homepage, a video, courtesy of IFOAM’s member Green Foundation, shows us how committed people in India were able to establish a seed bank with view to safeguarding biodiversity. Last but not least, we are very pleased to announce the launch of IFOAM’s Eco-Intensification and Biodiversity Campaign.

Farmers manage the majority of the earth’s land. They are the world’s most important custodians of biodiversity. Yet, tearing down rainforests for export beef production, converting the world’s most species-rich rainforests into palm oil plantations and turning our savannahs into desolate animal feed and bio-fuel farms is all in a days work for industrial agriculture. As if massive-scale destruction of our ecosystems is not enough, there is the ongoing everyday systematic poisoning and degradation of our environment through the use of agricultural chemicals and harsh industrial practices. Organic Agriculture protects primary ecosystems and actively integrates high levels of biodiversity into its farming systems. Rather than continuously relying on expensive seed and chemical products to provide short-term resilience and performance, organic farming systems are optimized through the intensification of ecological functions. Nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation and pest and disease regulation for example enable organic farming to affordably and sustainably achieve long-term performance and resilience. Organic farming’s knowledge, practices and systems are now very important as the world becomes increasingly challenged by declining resources, dwindling finances, rising populations and the impacts of climate change. IFOAM, the world’s umbrella organization for Organic Agriculture will:

* bring to the world’s attention the devastating impacts of industrial agriculture on biodiversity and on the local people who rely on biodiversity for their livelihoods,

* make this destruction more visible in the UN Climate Change negotiations, where agriculture currently escapes responsibility for the massive greenhouse gas emissions it causes through deforestation,

* make the biodiversity stewardship role of the world’s small-holder farmers who produce over 70% of the world’s food more visible,

* raise awareness of how the independence, livelihoods and the essential role of small-holder farmers in managing much of the world’s biodiversity can be affordably and sustainably strengthened through the eco-intensification of their farming systems.

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