Cross-border

Kogler and Özdemir in the fight for soil protection

Cem Özdemir and Werner Kogler: The German and Austrian Greens are pursuing the same goals ...

(Bild: Philipp Gaiko)

Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler visited his Green colleague Cem Özdemir in Germany. A working discussion on the necessities of soil protection. There is a lot to do in both countries.

Vice-Chancellor and Sports Minister Werner Kogler visited Germany as a fan of the national team. However, he not only visited the decisive match, but also his colleague Cem Özdemir, the dazzling Federal Minister of Agriculture. The two Greens met for a working discussion at the beginning of the week. Topics included soil protection and the preservation of intact nature. Both spoke out in favor of reducing soil consumption to secure the food supply.

Symptoms of the climate crisis clearly noticeable
The increasingly severe and frequent floods, flash floods and storms in Germany, Switzerland and Austria are a symptom of the climate crisis. Nature's ability to adapt is significantly hampered by massive soil sealing. Soil protection is ultimately also flood protection. In Austria, massive soil consumption also jeopardizes food security, contributes to the extinction of species and promotes urban sprawl in local communities.

In Germany, 52 hectares of land are consumed every day. Even if this land is not completely sealed, 100 percent of it is lost for agricultural use. In Austria, 12 hectares or 16 soccer pitches are used every day. Both want to tackle the climate crisis and land consumption together at national and European level.

"An elementary question of survival"
 Werner Kogler: "Reducing land consumption is an elementary question of survival in Austria as it is in Germany. If we continue to use concrete in Austria, for example, future generations will not have a single square meter of fertile soil left to grow grain or vegetables. It is up to us to stop this development and initiate a change for the better with effective soil protection." And this means protecting floods, species, the climate and, ultimately, people.

Many would like to see appropriate action and guidelines from local and regional authorities. Kogler: "We are working towards reducing soil consumption in Austria and have already implemented several soil protection measures." Nevertheless, there is still a lot to do.

"No more sealing of land"
 Kogler's colleague Özdemir points out the essential working basis for farmers: "Every day, many valuable arable and pasture areas on which our food is produced disappear." This land grab is causing land prices to rise and putting farmers under pressure. Young people in particular are often unable to find land to build a livelihood. "The time when land is carelessly sealed must be over." A freeze on the sale of state-owned agricultural land in Germany has therefore been implemented.

Soil protection not only means more biodiversity, humus-rich soils also absorb more rainwater - again important in view of the increasing heavy rainfall as a result of the climate crisis. Özdemir is therefore calling for "tailor-made EU funding for agriculture that preserves and builds up humus - and at the same time is practicable and economically viable for farms."