Suche
Mein Konto
Biodiversity in danger: experts warn of dramatic decline!
Professor Maria Finckh from the University of Kassel will be chairwoman of the Scientific Advisory Board for Biodiversity until 2028.
Biodiversity in danger: experts warn of dramatic decline!
On March 18, 2025, the Scientific Advisory Board for Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (WBBGR) was reconstituted for the period from 2025 to 2028. In a decisive election, 18 members of the advisory board, led by Professor Maria Finckh from the University of Kassel, were elected as the new chairwoman. The choice is in response to the ongoing decline in biodiversity, which has been affecting agricultural land in Europe for many years.
The challenges related to biodiversity are numerous. Field bird and grassland butterfly populations have reportedly declined by over 30% since 1990. These alarming figures prompted the European Commission to adopt a biodiversity strategy in 2011 to halt the loss of biodiversity. A central concern of the WBBGR will be the development of recommendations with regard to the future design of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
New advisory board with clear goals
The deputy chairmen of the advisory board are Professor Jana Zscheischler from the University of Vechta and Professor Inga Schleip from the University for Sustainable Development. Together, the advisory board will advise the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), particularly on questions of conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The central focus is on genetic resources for nutrition, agriculture and forestry.
The WBBGR's recommendations concern the consideration of biodiversity in food security, environmental and resource protection and adaptation to climate change. It is crucial to encourage consumers to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity. These initiatives are in the context of the modern agricultural policy that the EU is striving for.
The role of the common agricultural policy
The CAP 2023-2027 follows a modernized, results and performance-oriented strategy. The reform was passed on December 2, 2021 and came into force on January 1, 2023. The aim of the CAP is to create a sustainable future for European farmers, especially smaller farms, while strengthening biodiversity.
EU member states have developed national CAP strategic plans that focus on promoting income support, rural development and market measures. A common set of indicators will be used to ensure the monitoring and evaluation of the CAP strategic plans.
| Key points of the CAP 2023-2027 |
|---|
| At least 25% of the direct payments budget must be allocated to eco-schemes. |
| 35% of the funding is earmarked for climate protection, biodiversity, the environment and animal welfare. |
| 10 billion euros from the Horizon Europe program are earmarked for research and innovation projects in agriculture. |
| A crisis reserve of at least 450 million euros per year is planned. |
The CAP is crucial for promoting sustainable agricultural practices and preserving genetic diversity. Unfortunately, despite considerable financial resources, the decline in biodiversity has still not received the necessary attention following previous measures. The European Court of Auditors has also found that the formulation of the biodiversity strategy and CAP measures makes it difficult to measure progress.
In view of the multiple challenges, the EU emphasizes the need to revise the biodiversity strategy by 2030 to address the dramatic loss of biodiversity. This will also be supported by new measures at national level to more actively pursue and achieve the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Only through close cooperation between science, politics and agriculture can the threatened biodiversity in Europe be addressed sustainably. With the new election of the WBBGR and the upcoming development of concrete measures, the path is open for an improved biodiversity strategy.
For more information please visit uni-kassel.de, op.europa.eu, as well as agriculture.ec.europa.eu.