Nature, with its variety of plants, animals and ecosystems, is our most valuable asset: biodiversity provides us with oxygen, clean water, climatic stability, and fertile soil, thus forming the basis of life. It is our duty to ensure a habitable planet, now and in the future.
The world’s biodiversity is in crisis: every day, plant and animal species become extinct and ecosystems become more and more out of balance. Western governments play an important role in the deterioration of natural resources elsewhere on Earth. Large-scale imports of soya, wood, and palm oil are at the direct expense of tropical rainforests and primary forests, while overfishing by the European fishing fleet seriously damages seas and oceans across the world.
Most ecosystems are so severely affected and fragmented that they are no longer capable of delivering their valuable services. This degradation is a threat to food security, which means citizens are faced with major social and economic losses. The Party for the Animals calls for more nature and wants governments to stop contributing to the destruction of nature. We want governments to lead the way in tackling the biodiversity crisis.
If policies remain unchanged, global biodiversity will only continue to decline. The most important and effective measure to halt this decline is to reduce the consumption of animal products. In addition, we want all policies to be weighed against the consequences for nature and biodiversity. Moreover, the restoration and protection of natural sites worldwide should be actively supported.
This week, the European Parliament will vote on some 270 billion Euros in European agricultural subsidies that are part of the Common Agricultural Policy. MEP Anja Hazekamp of the Dutch Party for the Animals has, together with other MEPs, submitted a proposal to reject these plans. "This agricultural policy is virtually a blank cheque to continue to subsidise environmentally harmful and animal-unf...