The path to climate-friendly agriculture and nutrition
How relevant are agriculture and nutrition for the climate balance? How can we find a climate-friendly agriculture and diet? And which set of tools does politics have to set in motion so that this is compatible with the climate goals? Prof. Dr. Hermann Lotze-Campen, Head of the Climate Resilience Department at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Professor of Sustainable Land Use and Climate Change at the Humboldt University in Berlin, Anne Markwardt, Head of the Food Team at the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (VZBV) and Bioland President Jan Plagge.
“In order to limit global warming to a maximum of 1,5 degrees, as agreed by all signatory states in Paris in 2015, greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural and food sector must also be reduced as far as possible and as quickly as possible. To this end, effective measures must be implemented quickly at all levels along the entire value chain,” said Lotze-Campen, describing the role of agriculture and the food industry. Animal husbandry, which in its current form is not compatible with the climate goals, plays a key role.
“You have to think of both sides in the field of agriculture: on the one hand, measures must be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, on the other hand, agriculture must become more resilient to climate change, which will undoubtedly pose more and more problems. In concrete terms: humus-rich soil binds a particularly large amount of CO2 and it also has an increased water storage capacity. The promotion of such approaches is already going in the right direction, but it is essential that we continue to expand it.”
Food expert Markwardt emphasized: "For agriculture and nutrition to become more sustainable and climate-friendly, one thing is needed above all: Fewer animal products on the menu and fewer animals in the stalls. Raising animal husbandry standards and limiting the number of animals is just as necessary as mandatory labeling of animal welfare and sustainability aspects on food.” According to Markwardt, most consumers would accept higher meat prices if they actually improved the food conditions for the animals. However, so that everyone has the opportunity to eat healthily and sustainably, relief in the form of a reduction in VAT on fruit and vegetables is needed at the same time.
As with the environment and the climate, there are also high costs in the health sector due to the wrong diet, for example one that is too meat-heavy. “Malnutrition costs the healthcare system billions every year. And it causes great individual suffering because it can lead to chronic diseases. This is one of the reasons why there is an urgent need to create healthier eating environments and a more balanced range of foods.”
Can 100 percent organic feed the world population?
The question of whether it is possible to feed the world's population with 100 percent organic food was also debated. Lotze-Campen explained: "If you apply the consumption patterns that we have now and include the growing world population, then organic alone cannot solve the problems. But that is the wrong way of looking at it. You have to act on both the supply and the demand side and therefore you have to include the scenarios for reducing meat consumption as well. Then the issue of scarcity of land is completely different. Organic farming is not the panacea for all problems, but it has many beneficial effects, such as improving biodiversity on agricultural land, increasing soil carbon and reducing excess nitrogen.”
Bioland President Jan Plagge continued: "Organic farming, as part of the solution to the problem, is therefore rightly anchored in the Climate Protection Act, in the climate action plans of the Federal Government and in the 10-point plan of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food as a climate protection measure. It is now important that his services to the common good are rewarded with specific measures so that the climate protection goals and also the 30 percent organic target by 2030 are within reach. First and foremost, this means that the national implementation of the European agricultural policy in Germany ensures that organic farming is highly attractive. The currently known measures do not yet deliver that.”
Other issues relating to climate performance were also discussed. On the subject of carbon farming, Plagge said: “There is currently a gold rush atmosphere when it comes to carbon farming business models. However, there are currently no suitable survey and verification methods for entire farms that have good answers to central challenges: How do you deal with farms that have already built up a lot of humus? How do you ensure the long term and how do you avoid shifting effects? Bioland therefore initially relies on the solid development of overall farm accounting.”
To the Bioland Association
Bioland is the most important association for organic farming in Germany and South Tyrol. Around 10.000 companies from production, manufacturing and trading operate according to the Bioland guidelines. Together they form a community of values for the benefit of people and the environment.
