More than 80% of habitats in Europe are in a poor state of conservation with repercussions on ecosystem services. This is the alarming picture contained in the first Annual Report on Biodiversity in Italy drawn up by the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), the first national research center dedicated to biodiversity. The report highlights how Italy is the beating heart of Mediterranean biological diversity, hosting approximately 50% of plant species and 30% of animal species of conservation interest.
According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the leading scientific authority on these issues, biodiversity and the benefits it provides to human populations are the foundation on which we build the well-being and prosperity of communities around the world. Its loss represents one of the most serious and urgent environmental crises to be addressed globally.
On the occasion of the World Day dedicated to Biodiversity , FederBio underlines the urgency of taking concrete actions to protect ecosystems, which are essential to building a more sustainable future. Organic farming, which does not use synthetic chemicals but is based on ecological practices that preserve soil fertility and natural habitats, contributes significantly to the protection of biological diversity and is a real tool for the active conservation of ecosystem services.
Numerous studies and new research confirm the positive environmental impacts of agroecology, in particular the substantial meta-analysis conducted by the research institute FiBL, which examined 528 scientific publications to analyze the effects of organic farming. The picture that emerges shows that organic farms, compared to conventional ones, register an increase of up to 95% of plants, especially spontaneous herbaceous plants, a 35% growth in avifauna, a 23% increase in pollinating insects and a 61% increase in the variety of dormant seed species in the soil. Organic practices also contribute to the protection of soil, water and the reduction of nitrogen emissions, with an average decrease of 28%.
The analysis “Study on the environmental impacts of achieving 25% organic land by 2030 published” by Nicolas Lampkin and Katrin Padel also supports the positive effects of organic farming on biodiversity protection. This report highlights the environmental, economic and social improvements linked to achieving 25% organic agricultural land by 2030, as foreseen by the Farm To Fork Strategy. The numbers in the study are significant: with 25% of land cultivated organically, 68 million tons of CO2 would be eliminated per year while biodiversity would increase by 30%. The study also highlights that the conversion to organic would determine a drastic reduction of 90-95% in the use of chemically synthesized pesticides.
“Climate change, intensive agriculture, land consumption and the increase in invasive alien species are putting natural habitats at risk and are among the main causes of the decline in biodiversity - Maria Grazia Mammuccini , President of FederBio, underlines – Agroecology, of which organic and biodynamic are the most advanced expressions, is essential to safeguard the quality and health of our ecosystems because, by promoting a significant increase in animal and plant species, it is crucial to preserve the richness of natural habitats. Further confirmation in this sense comes from the comparative experimentation Trial DOK of the FiBL Institute, one of the largest and longest-lasting, which since 1978, has compared organic, biodynamic and conventional cultivation systems. The evidence has amply demonstrated how organic soils are characterized by a greater plant variety, with a number of species and germinable seeds, two to three times higher than conventional systems. We therefore renew our appeal for institutions, political decision-makers, operators in the sector and citizens to push more and more towards the agroecological transition, which combines sustainability, protection of natural habitats, climate mitigation and enhancement of ecosystem services”.
