What are the causes of biodiversity loss? How can we protect biodiversity in the future? How can we create a willingness for change?
We cannot survive in a world without biodiversity. It is essential for the stability and health of our environment, as well as for our food, health, water, and protection against extreme events. However, biodiversity is under threat worldwide: habitats are being destroyed, species are going extinct, and ecosystems are becoming unbalanced.
The causes are entirely human-made, including intensive land use, pollution and climate change. The far-reaching consequences are evident in a 'biodiversity crisis,' which has the potential to disrupt the very foundations of human existence just as profoundly as the 'climate crisis.'
“As a society, we must understand and acknowledge the fundamental truth that without nature and its conservation, we have no long-term chance of survival.”
Dr. Marion Mehring, Head of the Research Unit Biodiversity and People
Efforts to protect biodiversity have been only partially successful. Reversing this trend requires a deeper understanding of the social drivers of biodiversity loss, including changes in societal values, agricultural and food systems, tourism, and demographic shifts.
Moreover, biodiversity protection needs to be redefined. It should no longer be seen as the opposite of using nature, but as an approach that recognises the complex interdependencies and interactions within ecosystems. These must form the basis for further research and future action.
In so-called Transformation Labs, the project works with companies in the food industry to research how measures to promote biodiversity can be effectively designed and implemented.
