Advance Soil Protection and Nature Conservation Together!
To celebrate the 250th birthday of the brilliant natural scientist Alexander von Humboldt, we organized a conference in Berlin titled “Rediscovering Soil with Alexander von Humboldt” for the Commission for Soil Protection (KBU) at the German Environment Agency (UBA). Presentations from the conference can be found on the corresponding UBA page. As a result of the conference, numerous associations, in collaboration with the KBU, have published demands for the protection of living organisms in the soil. We only survive with and on healthy soil!
Land Market and Capital – A Difficult Relationship
The land market is undergoing significant changes, affecting agricultural land as well. On this subject, the KBU released a position paper in October 2019, to which our project team contributed. The KBU identifies three major issues that require attention:
- European subsidies should aim to enhance the natural functions of the soil. Soil serves not only as a vital source of humus for fertility but also acts as a storage for carbon dioxide. It helps in water retention and mitigates the effects of extreme weather events. The soil is home to billions of living creatures. The Common European Agricultural Policy still focuses too much on the cultivated area. The ongoing discussions in the EU must focus on the protection of soil and its functions. This also applies to the subsequent implementation in Germany.
- Land law should prioritize the common good. Speculative land acquisition on the current scale must be tackled.
- The agricultural land market should prioritize local farmers. Existing loopholes in real estate transfer law must be closed.
For more details, check out the KBU’s current position paper titled “Land Market and Capital”!
Partners in this interesting project are Dr. Wilhelm König, Dr. Norbert Feldwisch (Ingenieurbüro Feldwisch), lawyer Arne Friege (Bergerhoff Rechtsanwälte) and Svenjy Jürgens, as well as David Obladen (“Akademie Dr. Obladen”).
