»biodiversity«

Men today are cultivating just 150 species, in the past we grew more than 7000 plants for consumption, warns ANDREA RIZZI in El Pais (13.6.2006). The diversity of the crops is decreasing every time faster. The FAO asserts that in the last century we have lost 75% of the varieties in the field. This means less resistance and adaptation to climatic changes and diseases. On the other hand possibilities are diminishing that allow the improvement of crops by mixing genes.

The United Nations environment programme UNEP and the Council of Europe demand more action to protect the environment and biodiversity in Europe. Actually, there's lots of paperwork (treaties, legislations, programmes) but little efforts bring them to practice. Most discrepancies are in the protection of fisheries and woods, writes Inke Suhr in Süddeutsche Zeitung (28.2.2006). In 2003 an agreement was reached to stop the sprawling of urban areas. But up to now many European countries didn't even manage to figure out how much land is lost to urbanisation. Further, to little efforts are made to prevent the introduction of alien species.