German consumer group foodwatch demands CO2 targets for agricultural sector

Source: Xinhua| 2019-09-19 01:45:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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BERLIN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The consumer group foodwatch called on the German government on Wednesday to define "concrete CO2 savings targets" for the entire agricultural sector.

Agriculture in the European Union would cause "enormous damage to the climate and the environment", according to foodwatch Germany.

"The climate debate must not only revolve around air travel and SUVs, but we must also focus on agriculture," said Managing Director of foodwatch Germany Martin Rucker, adding that agriculture was a "huge CO2 catapult" that would be subsidized by the government with billions.

Based on a CO2 price of 180 euros per ton as proposed by the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), the CO2 effect of EU agriculture alone would result in "climate cost" of 77 billion euros (85.2 billion U.S. dollars) per year.

Foodwatch noted that these costs would exceed the 55 billion euros which were distributed annually in the EU for agricultural subsidies with taxpayers' money.

"The fact that there are still no binding savings targets for the agricultural sector is a scandal," criticized Martin Rucker.

According to foodwatch, the "polluter pays principle" has to be applied in order to create incentives to produce as climate-friendly as possible.

Agriculture should pay for climate and environmental damage it caused, and products produced in an environmentally friendly way should be cheaper than products whose production caused high environmental damage.

"Agricultural policy must finally become part of climate policy," said Rucker.

On Friday, the German Climate Cabinet chaired by Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) will present a package of measures to enable Germany to achieve national and internationally binding climate targets.

Although the German government is planning to include the transport and building sector in a potential emission trading scheme, it is unlikely the climate cabinet will define numerical carbon targets for the agricultural sector.

Foodwatch, a European advocacy group that focuses on protecting consumer rights that pertain to food quality, was founded in October 2002 in Berlin, Germany.

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