Biodiversity Needs a Change in Policy: 25 Organizations Demand Fair Framework Conditions for Agriculture and Nature
Alliance sends four core demands to politicians – “For a resilient agriculture and food industry, we need more than just flowering strips at the edge of the field!”
Radolfzell, 2025-10-15; A broad alliance of agriculture, the food industry, nature conservation and science has today sent a comprehensive “Call for Action” to political decision-makers at EU, federal and state level. In it, the signatories call for fundamental improvements to the framework conditions for effective insect and biodiversity protection at the landscape level.
Cooperative approaches instead of individual measures
“Individual flowering strips are not enough to stop the dramatic insect mortality,” explains Patrick Trötschler from the Lake Constance Foundation, coordinator of the EU-LIFE project “Insect-Promoting Regions.” “We need a modern funding policy that better combines nature conservation goals and agriculture. We recommend cooperative, landscape-related funding programs that involve all land use stakeholders.”
The position paper was primarily developed by the partners of the LIFE project – including the Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall, the Global Nature Fund, the Netzwerk Blühende Landschaft and Nestlé Deutschland. In the meantime, over 20 other organizations from all over Europe have signed the appeal, including the Deutscher Naturschutzring, Naturland and several landscape conservation associations.
For effective and efficient protection of insects and biodiversity overall, a high density of punctual, linear and extensive habitat and food offerings and their linking is necessary both in the cultural landscape and in the urban area. Patrick Trötschler gets to the point: “Insect diversity needs more space!”
From the results of the five-year intensive project work in a total of seven “Insect-Promoting Regions,” the project partners have formulated an appeal.
Four central demands on politics
- Strengthening cooperative funding programs: The existing LEADER structures should be used for independent biodiversity funding programs at the landscape level. These enable tailor-made regional solutions involving agriculture, forestry, municipalities and other land users.
- Reform of agricultural funding: The current funding rates for agri-environmental measures are not sufficient. Significantly higher premiums are demanded for ecosystem services, the combination of public and private funding, and more flexible commitment periods with uncomplicated exit options.
- Responsibility of the food industry: Companies in the food industry should actively invest in biodiversity, create fair remuneration models for biodiversity-promoting production and standardize their requirements across the industry. Support for biodiversity monitoring is also required.
- Expansion of advice and training: Specialized biodiversity advice and the integration of the topic into agricultural training are crucial for the successful implementation of measures.
Shared responsibility for resilient cultural landscapes
“Agriculture cannot shoulder biodiversity protection alone,” the alliance emphasizes. “It needs fair framework conditions and a shared responsibility from politics, the food industry and society. Only through a cooperative approach at the landscape level can we secure resilient and diverse cultural landscapes for the future.”
The complete position paper is available for download on the project website https://insect-responsible.org/.
Contact for inquiries:
Lake Constance Foundation
Patrick Trötschler, Managing Director
Tel.: +49 7732 999541
E-mail: patrick.troetschler@bodensee-stiftung.org
Further information on the EU-LIFE project “Insect-Promoting Regions”:
The project has united partners from nature conservation, agriculture and the food industry for a common goal: the sustainable protection of insects and biodiversity by and with various land users across larger contiguous areas.
Regional biodiversity action plans were drawn up in seven insect-promoting regions. In each region, measures for insect protection were tested on demonstration farms. At the same time, farmers, consultants and food companies were trained and consumers were made aware of the topic. Other farmers were motivated to develop and implement an action plan for insect promotion. The project also played a role in obtaining attractive incentives for farmers as well as the (financial) remuneration of the commitment through public programs and the food industry. The approaches developed in this project are transferable to other regions.
The seven insect-promoting regions: Allgäu, Bliesgau, Lake Constance, Hohenlohe, Northern Upper Rhine, Wendland and Vinschgau in South Tyrol.
Project partners: Lake Constance Foundation (Coordination), Bäuerliche Erzeugergemeinschaft Schwäbisch Hall, Global Nature Fund, Nestlé Deutschland, Netzwerk Blühende Landschaft.
Further information on the project website: https://insect-responsible.org/
The project briefly summarized in the Layman’s Report: https://insect-responsible.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DE-Version-LIFE-IRSR-Laypersons-Report-2025.pdf
