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More than 550 leading experts from over 100 countries confirmed, after a three-year work , the continuous decline of biodiversity throughout the world (Ref. IPBES-Unesco-FAO). Biodiversity is not just a matter for experts. It is obviously something that concers everyone. Because biodiversity keeps our air breathable, provides us access to a significant variety of food sources, plays a strong role in ensuring clean drinking water and is a key source of medicines. The needs of a growing world population, a rapid and unplanned urban expansion and intensive agriculture are at the core of this issue. The result is overexploitation of natural resources and pollution of land and water. And the consequences are the extinction of many plant and animal species. The International Union for Consevation of Nature stressed that 25% of mammals, 41% of amphibians and 13% of birds are already threatened. Other scientists underlined that 75% of flying insects have probably disappeared in the last 25 years. There is no doubt that biodiversity lies at the heart of our survival. We need plants for our oxygen and bees that pollinate over two-thirds of our food. Against this background, we should welcome the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity which include the protection of 17% of all land and 10% of the oceans by 2020. These are realistic goals, but only if there is a global awareness of the urgency and gravity of the situation. Otherwise, the continuous loss of biodiversity might lead to the early death of humankind.

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