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Agricultural policy does not only decide over the fate of many animal and plant species but also determines future prospects of people in rural areas. In a number of different pilot schemes – for example at the Narew in Poland, in the Spanish Extremadura and on the Philippine island of Leyte – Euronatur demonstrates that environmentally friendly and quality-oriented food production creates additional employment and makes economic sense. This includes future-oriented technologies such as decentralised waste-water treatment, renewable energy, strategies for reducing energy consumption and the strengthening of public transport networks. Our credo is “Not genetic engineering, but engineering for the future”. World trade has a major impact on the development of agriculture and thus also on the weal or woe of people and the environment at national level. Therefore, the types of subsidies provided for producers in industrialized countries are assessed as part of the negotiations on the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. Some of these subsidies push small farmers in developing countries out of the market, others contribute to environmental destruction and thus to the loss of natural resources in the North. Wind energy: Blessing or curse? Euronatur supports the expansion of renewable energies. However, wind farms – especially very large ones or those in off-shore areas – must be subjected to detailed environmental impact assessments. |
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