‘Over the past decade, a significant number of citizens’ movements across the EU have emerged to oppose pesticides and the intensive farming model that is destroying biodiversity and therefore our livelihoods,’ write the promoters in the presentation of the project. They cite some cases of concrete action: the popular referendum held in the South Tyrolean town of Malles; the almost two million citizens who signed an initiative to save the bees in Bavaria; the monthly ‘Nous voulons des coquelicots’ (‘We want poppies’) actions across France. ‘Citizens want to show their decision-makers that they do not support current environmental, agricultural and pesticide policies.’
Save bees and farmers is therefore an alliance, that is, a network of different players whose aim is concrete and targeted action to introduce new policies, or to amend or abolish existing ones. ‘We found that the time was ripe to put forward ambitious political demands on agriculture and biodiversity,’ say the promoters. ‘Most of the growing scientific evidence underlining the crucial link between intensive farming, the collapse of biodiversity, climate change and the rapid decline of family farms leaves no choice but a rapid change in food production systems.’
The vision of this ECI alliance (the acronym stands for European Citizens’ Initiative) is ‘of a European Union in which agriculture is a driver of people’s well-being in terms of employment, health and the recovery of biodiversity’. The aim is therefore to ‘revitalise vibrant rural areas where small farms provide decent work for villagers by producing healthy food in balance with nature, allowing biodiversity to heal from the environmental disaster caused by decades of agrochemicals being released onto our land’.
The ECI was officially submitted to the European Commission by seven European citizens:
Annemarie Markt (farmer, Italy), a victim of the effects of pesticides on her organic farm;
Constantin Dobrescu (Romapis, Romania), representative of the Romanian national beekeepers’ organisation;
François Veillerette (Générations Futures, France), a leading figure of the anti-pesticide movement in France;
Helmut Burtscher-Schaden (Global 2000, Austria), a leading figure of the European movement to replace the carcinogenic herbicide glyphosate with environmentally friendly alternatives;
Karl Bär (Umweltinstitut München, Germany), an environmental activist who researches the airborne transport of pesticides and supports communities that wish to protect themselves from pesticides;
Martin Dermine (PAN Europe, Pesticide Action Network), a veterinarian, beekeeper and activist for biodiversity, health, soil and clean water;
Noa Simon (Bee Life, Belgium), active for more than 10 years in supporting the beekeeping sector against toxic pesticides and in favour of reforming the Common Agricultural Policy;
Polyxeni Nicolopoulou Stamati (environmental pathologist, Greece), a doctor concerned about the negative impact of pesticides on human health.
The ECI is now officially represented by Martin Dermine (Belgian beekeeper and scientist) and Helmut Burtscher-Schaden as substitute.
See the list of participating organisations:
https://www.savebeesandfarmers.eu/eng/about-us/our-alliance/
The principles and aims of Save bees and farmers
The European citizens’ initiative Save Bees and Farmers! aims to be ‘a catalyst for transforming agriculture towards a model based on agroecological principles and thus promoting biodiversity’. An agricultural model that preserves natural resources, prevents degradation and increases soil fertility; that contributes to climate protection by absorbing more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it releases. ‘Such an agricultural model,’ the promoters write, ‘is the only possible answer to the growing challenges posed by biodiversity and climate crises, and is therefore also the best suited to guaranteeing the world’s food supply for future generations.’
The primary objective is therefore the gradual phasing out of synthetic pesticides. The long-term one is the transition from the current input-intensive agricultural model to a biodiversity-enhancing model based on natural cycles.
‘Phasing out pesticides within 15 years is an ambitious challenge,’ admit the Save bees people. ‘The transition of our agricultural model towards agroecology is a challenge for all stakeholders, in particular farmers.’ It is possible only ‘with strong political will’.
The recommendations that scientists made in the past ‘have gone largely unheeded’. ‘Today we must recognise that our generation is the last to have the power to take effective action to stop the extinction of species and climate change. Whether or not we do so will determine whether the planet that allowed our civilisation to develop will offer the same living conditions to future generations. It is our responsibility to ensure it.’
To donate to Save bees and farmers:
https://www.savebeesandfarmers.eu/eng/donate/
