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Global challenges for agriculture (including aquaculture, fisheries and forestry)

Report (1)

Doc. 7845

13 June 1997

Rapporteur: Mr Hermann SCHEER, Germany, Socialist Group

 

Summary

 

The present use of resources, combined with an increasing world population, is causing severe damage to the environment and to biodiversity and is changing the world's climate. The resource-base for the production of food and renewable raw materials for industry and the energy sector, that is to say air, soil and water, has, in many regions, been polluted, degraded or even destroyed. The costs of this environmental damage as well as the costs for the negative social consequences are not being adequately reflected in economic analysis.

 

The primary sectors of agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry have partly contributed to this negative development. These sectors can, however, be used in reversing present trends. Sustainable technologies offer possibilities for improving air, soil and water quality and could help preserve biodiversity. These sectors can also produce renewable raw materials that can replace the polluting fossil raw materials for industry and the energy sector. Natural products and processes can be used for the preservation of plants and control of animal and plant diseases (natural pesticides) and as fertilizers, thus offering new ways of assuring food security and the production of quality food.

 

The advancement of biological and other natural sciences offers alternative ways of assuring adequate production levels for the world's population in conformity with the principle of sustainability. The present report proposes new political initiatives to this end.

 

I. Draft resolution

 

1.The Assembly recalls its Recommendations 1048 (1987) on the consequences for agriculture of current soil degradation; 1142 (1991) on labelling of quality food products, 1213 (1993) on developments in biotechnology and the consequences for agriculture, 1232 (1994) on the management of water resources, and 1244 (1994) on food and health, as well as its Resolution 979 (1992) on agriculture's contribution to enhancing energy security and saving the global environment.

 

2.It also refers to the Council of Europe Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention), to the European Soil and Water Charters of the Council of Europe, to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and Agenda 21, adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and to the pan-European biological and landscape diversity strategy of the Council of Europe.

 

3.In spite of these conventions and other agreements, the destruction of biotopes and biodiversity continues throughout the world.

 

4.The degradation of air quality affects the health of living organisms and alters the Earth's climate.

 

5.Soil erosion and water pollution may threaten food security and have severe environmental consequences.

 

6.Agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry interact in a particular manner with nature.

 

7.Non-sustainable exploitation practices in these four sectors, combined with an increasing world population, have caused damage to the environment, but these sectors could also contribute positively to re-establishing the natural balance of the Earth's ecosystem and assure universal food security if sustainable management policies and production systems were to be adopted.

 

8.The success of the Green Revolution in feeding the world and greatly reducing the number of undernourished children has also shown the need to monitor and regulate certain of the practices which have been so successful, if modern intensive farming is to be sustainable.

 

9.Consequently, the Assembly calls on the governments of member states and the European Union to:

  1. introduce relevant incentives for the promotion of sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry;

  2. increase research and development in support of such measures;

  3. give priority to programmes for reafforestation and for the maintenance of vegetation cover;

  4. increase research into existing bio-diversity and the beneficial uses that can be made thereof;

  5. promote recycling of materials and gradually reflect the full costs of any environmental and social damage in the prices of non-sustainable, wasteful, polluting and/or unhealthy products and production methods;

  6. favour the maintenance of local markets as a complement to increased world trade for the enhancement of food security, for the benefit of rural economies and for the maintenance of a living countryside (thus reducing transport pollution);

  7. ensure that European quality standards for products and production methods also apply to imported commodities;

  8. seek agreements within the World Trade Organisation that will not jeopardize social and ecological standards;

  9. take concerted action for a significant introduction of renewable non-polluting energies using biomass as well as wind, water, tidal and solar power;

  10. promote the use of renewable raw materials in all branches of industry;

  11. prepare for a reduction in the use of fossil raw materials and charge the full costs of environmental and social damage caused by them;

  12. take steps to phase out, replace or use in a harmless manner all input factors in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry (such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers, equipment, antibiotics, feed ingredients, etc) that can cause health hazards to humans, animals or plants, or that cause unacceptable environmental and social damage;

  13. promote the production of quality food and assure the necessary controls.

 

10.The Assembly asks the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, in co-operation with the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and, where appropriate, the Council of Europe, to continue and strengthen work for the establishment of satisfactory pan-European regulations for the conservation of clean air.

 

II. Draft recommendation

 

1.The Assembly refers to its Recommendations 1048 (1987) on the consequences for agriculture of current soil degradation; 1142 (1991) on labelling of quality food products, 1213 (1993) on developments in biotechnology and the consequences for agriculture, 1232 (1994) on the management of water resources, and 1244 (1994) on food and health, as well as its Resolution 979 (1992) on agriculture's contribution to enhancing energy security and saving the global environment.

 

2.It also refers to the Council of Europe Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention), the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and Agenda 21, adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and the pan-European biological and landscape diversity strategy of the Council of Europe.

 

3.In spite of these conventions and other agreements, the destruction of biotopes and biodiversity continues throughout the world.

 

4.Soil erosion and water pollution may threaten food security and have severe environmental consequences.

 

5.Agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry interact in a particular manner with nature.

 

6.Non-sustainable exploitation practices in these four sectors, combined with an increasing world population, have caused damage to the environment, but these sectors could also contribute positively to re-establishing the natural balance of the Earth's ecosystem and assure universal food security if sustainable management policies and production systems were to be adopted.

 

7.Consequently, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

  1. review the European Soil and Water Charters, with the purpose of updating them and consider strengthening their legal force;

  2. continue and intensify its work on the protection of biotopes and on the conservation of biological and landscape diversity, in particular with a view to identifying the role and contributions of agriculture, aquaculture, forestry and fisheries to sustainable development.

 

III. Explanatory memorandum

by Mr SCHEER

Table of contents

1. Introduction

2. The destruction of biotopes and biodiversity

3. Water availability

4. Soil resources

5. The air and the climate

6. Food quality

7. Renewable raw materials for industry and the energy sector

8. Conclusions

 

 

1. Introduction

 

1.Agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry produce our food and in addition deliver important non-food products for a variety of end-uses. It is particularly important that these sectors should be governed by long-term policies aiming at a sustainable exploitation of natural and cultivated renewable resources, avoiding any unnecessary damage to the resource-base: air, water and soil. Science and technology can be used to improve the performance of the sectors by fully respecting the principle of sustainability, meaning that the harvest should be in balance with the materials returned to the production site. Policy reforms with such aims will benefit the long-term competitiveness of the sectors and bring new activities to rural areas.

 

2.Ecologically oriented and environmentally acceptable policies and practices for agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are necessary for the survival of humanity. Only the sustainable management and use of resources will guarantee:

 

3.Agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry have been seriously affected by the industrial society through pollution and many other negative impacts. But these sectors have also themselves caused multiple environmental damage. It cannot be right that soil can be eroded, water contaminated, wildlife poisoned and reservoirs filled with sediment without any of these issues being reflected in policies regarding resource-management. Your Rapporteur believes that farmers and fishermen, consumers and tax-payers can benefit from policy changes to promote sustainable production methods. The strengthening of local markets is part of this strategy; this will reduce pollution and energy costs linked to transportation and will strengthen local economies. It is particularly important in this context that agriculture be given back its traditional role of supplying raw materials for industry and the energy sector.

 

4.Another important argument for such change in policy is that it could foster entrepreneurship and help create new employment in rural areas. In this way agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry could contribute to solving the problems referred to above and those listed in the motion for a resolution which is at the origin of this report (Doc. 7238). The aim of this report is to point out necessary policy reforms in this direction.

 

5.Your Rapporteur wishes to thank Dr. José Lutzenberger, former Minister of the Environment of Brazil and Alternative Peace Prize-winner, for his valuable contribution to this report.

 

6.The report contains an analysis of six global challenges and their relation to agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry. These six challenges have been termed as follows:

 

The interactions between the primary production sectors dealt with in this report and the six issues at stake, given a continued increase in the world's population, will be crucial for food security and life on Earth.

 

2. The destruction of biotopes and biodiversity

 

7.Human activities are increasingly having a negative impact on biotopes (regions of habitats associated with a particular ecological community). This is the case when the use of a particular habitat is not compatible with the survival conditions of certain of its wild animals, plants or micro-organisms. A diminution of the habitat area or its splitting up into small units may have the same effect. In many cases, these habitats are erased all together (urbanisation). Other causes for biotope destruction, many of which are linked to agricultural practices, include the intensification of land-use or its change, including changes from pasture land to crop land as well as enlargements of these. Drainage of wetlands is another serious threat to many biotopes. The destruction of the world's tropical forests, which was the subject of an earlier report to the Assembly (Doc. 6037, Resolution 919 (1989)), is a grotesque example of habitat and biodiversity destruction.

 

8.The use of pesticides and other noxious chemicals as well as the excessive use of mineral and organic fertilizers can have serious negative consequences on biotopes and biodiversity. Such input factors must therefore be carefully monitored and if possible replaced by better, biotope-friendly products of natural origin. Pollution from industry and urban centres, but also from agriculture, have eliminated many biotopes in rivers and lakes, as well as in coastal waters. Soil ecosystems have also been severely damaged.

 

9.Over-fishing and the use of unselective fishing gear have caused the extinction of some species and put others under threat. Entire sea eco-systems have been wiped out or are in serious danger because of these multiple negative impacts. Policies which allow that 35,000 tons of fish out of a total catch of some 100,000 tons are thrown back as by-catch into the sea each year must be condemned and stopped immediately. This is a most serious threat to the existence of entire fish populations but also to other marine animals, plants and micro-organisms.

 

10.Domestic animal and plant diversity have been affected by the increased reliance on a few species. The FAO considers that this diversity is critical to achieving food security. The current trend poses a real and significant danger for permanently losing highly-adapted and valuable animal and plant genetic resources. New species for future domestication could also be found among the many still non-utilised and sometimes unknown plants or even animals. The knowledge and know-how of past generations need to be re-evaluated not only for food crops but also regarding medicinal plants and plants of potential interest as raw material for industry and the energy sector. The positive use of biodiversity may be an interesting alternative to the use of biotechnology.

 

11.These major concerns, of preventing the destruction of biotopes and of conserving wild as well as domestic biodiversity, prompted the World Summit in Rio de Janiero in 1992 to adopt the Convention on Biological Diversity and Agenda 21. It also prompted the Council of Europe's third Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (Sofia, 1995) to adopt a pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy. The Strategy proposes a new and voluntary approach aimed at stopping and reversing the degradation processes negatively affecting biological and landscape diversity in Europe.

 

12.A new orientation of policies guiding agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry, along the lines suggested by Dr. Lutzenberger, who advocates the use of natural products for disease control and soil improvement (natural fertilizers), would help conserve biotopes and biodiversity. The business of these sectors has increasingly become one of making money and less that of feeding people, of ensuring the availability of renewable raw materials and of preserving natural and man-made environments. Such non-sustainable use of resources must be reversed. One should, however, keep in mind that the majority of peasants are still struggling to make a living while mighty estate-owners live in luxury.

 

3. Water availability

 

13.Life on Earth is dependent on water which is a unique resource that cannot be replaced. The degradation of its quality through pollution or serious quantitative restrictions may have grave consequences for food production and the survival of millions of people, animals and plants. The population explosion and the rapidly expanding needs of modern industry and agriculture are making increasing demands on water resources. Water may therefore become a source of violent conflict in many regions of the world during the next century due to its decreasing availability and the increasing competition for this scarce "non-renewable" resource. In fact, a growing number of countries will experience water shortage, with available water per person per year far below 1,000 m3. Below this level lack of water becomes a severe constraint on food production, economic development and the protection of natural systems.

 

14.The European Water Charter of the Council of Europe, proclaimed in Strasbourg on 6 May 1968, includes the following statements regarding quality of water:

 

15.With regard to the conservation of water resources, the Charter stresses the importance of maintaining vegetation cover, preferably forests, and wherever it has disappeared to reconstitute it as quickly as possible. The conservation of forests is a factor of major importance for the stabilization of drainage basins and their water regime.

 

16.The Assembly's report on the problem of desertification in the Mediterranean Basin (Doc. 7503, Resolution 1090 (1996)) draws attention to the competition for water between urban and rural areas. It states that large conurbations are contributing to desertification. The competition for water between industry and agriculture is also critical for many countries with limited water resources.

 

17.In its Recommendation 1232 (1994) on the management of water resources in relation to agriculture (Doc. 6980), the Assembly stressed the importance of integrating nature conservation, land-use, agricultural and water management policies. Agricultural practices and in particular the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers have, in many regions, caused severe pollution of rivers, lakes, groundwater and coastal waters - although not comparable with the pollution caused by industry. In his presentation, Dr. Lutzenberger points to the possibility of avoiding the use of chemicals harmful to nature by replacing them with natural products or by altering production methods and cycles (crop rotation). He argues that this could eliminate pests and produce healthier plants and animals. It is also possible to reduce agriculture's need for water by carefully selecting plant and animal species and by improving irrigation systems. Here again, renewable energy systems (solar and wind energy) can open new doors and even permit increased use of desalinated sea water and purified waste water.

 

4. Soil resources

 

18.Human activity throughout history has had an impact on soil resources, sometimes deliberate and beneficial, in other cases damaging to the soil, for example by using agricultural practices which cause or enhance soil erosion. This degradation was so severe that the decline of whole civilisations, such as in Mesopotamia or the Roman Empire has been at least partly attributed to declining soil productivity. In several places in the Mediterranean region the soil has disappeared completely; the removal of forests and over-grazing have resulted in soil erosion, leaving only bare rock. According to a recent estimate, the Sahara has expanded by 500,000 km2 over the past 20 years; in bad years it has moved southwards by as much as 10 to 20 km per year.

 

19.Many environmentalists argue that drought is only a minor factor behind desertification and that the major cause has been growth and change in human activity. While population density is generally low in Africa, in most countries, including those with major semi-arid areas, it has more than doubled in the last 30 years. Efforts to expand subsistence agriculture have led to over-intensive cultivation while expansion of livestock herds has resulted in over-grazing. Population growth also puts pressure on supplies of the main fuel source, firewood, leading to deforestation. The use of solar and wind energy could have avoided this degradation which can lead to desertification.

 

20.However, if soil degradation is a known phenomenon, so is soil conservation. In Latin America the Inca people were very much aware of the hazards of soil erosion as illustrated by their stone terraces on the slopes of the Andes. The traditional system of shifting cultivation can be considered as a kind of soil conservation because the soil is given a chance to regain its natural fertility after a few years of cultivation. An example of conservation of fertility is the development of the "free field" system in medieval Europe in which a fallow was taken every third year. The addition of organic manure and folding of sheep on root crops was a practice developed in England in order to maintain the fertility of the soil.

 

21.Soil degradation is a more serious and also a more complex problem than it used to be. It has been estimated that in Europe 72,000 km2 (25%) of all agricultural land, 54,000 km2 (35%) of all pasture land and 26,000 km2 (92%) of all forest and woodland is affected by some kind of soil degradation. The US-based Worldwatch Institute estimates that farmers all over the world lose 24,000 million tonnes of top-soil every year. If one ha. of this surface layer (2.5 cm thick) equals 400 tonnes, then an area of 60 million ha. is affected (equal to half of China's arable land). It is evident that only vegetation cover can halt this evolution. The recent International Soil Research Conference, organised in Bonn in August 1996, warned that the destruction of soil within two to three decades could bring food production down to the level it was in the 1950s.

 

22.Increasing population exerts pressure on the soil and requires ever more land for buildings and infrastructure works and space for recreation. It has often been the level, well-drained land most suitable for crops which has been used for these purposes.

 

23.Intensification of agriculture has led to increased and sometimes excessive application of mineral fertilizers, manure and pesticides. The use of more powerful heavy machinery has led to compaction, loss of structure and so indirectly to erosion. Larger field sizes have also increased the risk of erosion. It has been pointed out that the depopulation of rural areas may also result in soil degradation, for instance through lack of maintenance of soil conservation structures.

 

24.The industrial revolution brought about increased production, directly or indirectly, of waste and refuse materials; in many cases these materials were, and some still are, spread on the soil or concentrated in refuse dumps. The potentially serious consequences of these practices have been perceived only recently. Until one or two decades ago in many countries, and perhaps still in some others, dumping of municipal refuse and waste materials or residues from factories took place without any form of control. After these sites were filled and covered with "new soil", houses, playgrounds and sports fields were built on top of them. In many cases no positive preventive anti-pollution measures were taken to contain the toxic wastes. One or two decades later it has been discovered that in a growing number of these sites the soil, groundwater and atmosphere have been severely polluted by chemical substances. This calls for a new policy to avoid waste and litter and, where unavoidable, to recycle the materials used. The soil can also be rendered unsuitable for food production by heavy pollution of various kinds. Such pollution normally reduces the soil's fertility and can even destroy it. Heavy radio-active pollution and other soil degradation has been treated in an earlier Assembly report (Doc. 5664).

 

25.Recommendation No. R (92) 8 on soil protection, adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, clearly states that "soil should be regarded as a limited resource; the spread of erosion, urbanisation, transport and traffic infrastructures and waste disposal necessitates a long-term view of soil management." It is with this in mind that agricultural and forestry policies would need to be revised.

 

26.The European Soil Charter, adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 30 May 1972 further states that: "Soil is one of humanity's most precious assets. It allows plants, animals and man to live on the Earth's surface". The Charter sets out a series of principles for the preservation and protection of soil. With regard to agriculture and forestry it states that "machinery and modern techniques permit considerable increases in yields, but, if used indiscriminately, they may disrupt the natural balance of the soil, altering its physical, chemical and biological characteristics. The destruction of organic matter in the soil by inappropriate methods of cultivation and the misuse of heavy machinery are important factors in impairing soil structure and hence the yield of arable crops. The soil structure of grassland may be similarly damaged by intensive stocking. Forestry should put appropriate emphasis on methods for improved exploitation which would prevent soil deterioration. Methods of tillage and harvesting should conserve and improve the properties of the soil. The introduction of new techniques on a wide scale should be undertaken after its possible disadvantages have been studied."

 

27.Given the new dimension of the Council of Europe and the advancement of knowledge in this area, a revision of this Charter could be most useful for further concerted action.

 

5. The air and the climate

 

28.The increasing use of fossil fuels has caused and is continuing to cause serious air pollution: carbon dioxide and monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, etc. The release of other chemicals into the atmosphere, such as chlorinated and fluorinated hydrocarbons, has added to the general pollution levels and caused a depletion of the ozone layer which protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation. The consequences of this for animals, plants and humans are difficult to assess at present, but they may be very serious.

 

29.The effects of global warming, largely caused by CO2 emissions are still being debated. Agriculture and forestry are contributing little to these emissions, the single most important source being permanent deforestation. But these sectors contribute to methane emissions (through anaerobic decay of organic matter such as in the digestive tracts of livestock (25%), paddy rice fields (35%) and animal waste (12%)).

 

30.Among the likely consequences of global warming, the FAO has highlighted the following aspects:

 

31.It is evident from the above that air pollution and global warming will have impacts on crop and animal production, fishery, forestry, soil and water resources.

 

32.The Worldwatch Institute has reported that air pollution in Sweden has caused the loss of 6% in annual grain yields. However, the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is likely to enhance crop yields, but other effects linked to global warming may reduce yields, for example increased attacks of parasites, diseases, etc.

 

33.Animal production will be sensitive to rainfall and available pasture land, but also to any change in disease patterns caused by improved habitats and breeding conditions for disease-carrying parasites and insects such as tics or flies. Aquaculture and fisheries would be negatively affected by increasing floods and by the fact that fish-breeding areas and migration patterns for fish might change. Air pollution resulting in acid rain has caused the extinction of whole fish populations in lakes and rivers in the Scandinavian countries. Fishing in these waters was traditionally a welcome addition to the local diet and often an important recreation activity.

 

34.The latest report on the state of forests in Europe concludes that "in certain regions of Central and Eastern Europe the concentration of pollutants in the air and deposits of certain pollutants in the soil are far in excess of the tolerance threshold for forest ecosystems". A 1994 survey conducted by the European Union and the UN Economic Commission for Europe indicates that every fourth tree in Europe shows clear signs of damage, an increase of almost 4% from the previous year. Worldwide, forests of interior regions are predicted to be in danger of elimination and could be replaced by desert brush or steppe ecosystems as a consequence of global warming. This could be the case for North America. In many regions insects, disease and wild fires may increase their harmful effects.

 

35.Soil resources may be threatened by increased erosion and a rise in sea-level would have considerable consequences for coastal land.

 

36.Finally, climatic change could significantly and negatively alter the balance between water supplies and water needs in major irrigation areas situated in present and future arid zones, many of which are located in developing countries.

 

37.The UN Economic Commission for Europe has drawn up a Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (1979), which has since been complemented by different protocols. Your Rapporteur believes that this effort should be continued at the pan-European level for the protection of clean air and the establishing of standards for tolerable emissions.

 

6. Food quality

 

38.The central theme of Dr. Lutzenberger's contribution to this report is "quality". It is evident that healthy animals and plants are the best guarantee for the production of healthy food products, on condition that their transformation, storage and transportation will not negatively influence their quality. The consumer should in all cases be informed. Present production methods for many crops and animals, including fish-farming, have come to include a series of chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, enzymes, fodder additives of different kinds, artificial colours, hormones and a series of other products for the control of disease, growth, taste, texture, colour, etc. Food variety has also been reduced due to the trend of concentrating production on a few species as mentioned early.

 

39.Intensive animal farming has come under increasing attack by large numbers of consumers who reject the breeding conditions applied, fearing the health risks from consumption of these products, which could contain residues linked to the production methods or carry diseases. The introduction of food products obtained by using biotechnology has been questioned in this respect, since, among other things, modified or new proteins and other molecules may give rise to an increased risk of allergies.

 

40.The recent scandal regarding the "mad cow" disease or BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) gives ample proof of the shortcomings of the present production systems. Scientists believe that the disease has been caused by cows being fed meat and bone meal incorporating the remains of sheep infected with scrapie, a similar disease which has been known for the last 250 years. In the United Kingdom, 160,000 cattle have developed BSE since the late 1980s and more than 200 cases have also been reported in Switzerland. Scientists fear that BSE is causing the deadly and incurable Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Ten cases of this disease, which can have an incubation period of ten years or more, have been report recently in the United Kingdom. The use of animal remains in feed for herbivorous animals must be banned altogether.

 

41.This is, however, not the only health hazard caused by unhealthy production methods. An American consumer group claims that 25% of all chickens harbour salmonella and 90% are contaminated with campylobacter, a lesser known but equally stomach-sickening and potentially deadly bacteria. What is then the situation in Europe?

 

42.The poultry industry is also fighting other pests like the so-called Newcastle disease, caused by a virus which continues to spread and develop despite preventive vaccination. A host of similar examples could be cited. Your Rapporteur is of the opinion that consumers and farmers as well as the food industry would gain by adopting sound, healthy and sustainable production methods. It should be noted in this connection that the Council of Europe's Standing Committee of the European Convention on the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes, in its Recommendation concerning Domestic Fowl, establishes that "4) Birds shall be kept in such a way that they can keep themselves clean" and "5) Routine or systematic use of drugs to compensate for poor hygienic conditions or management shall not be allowed" (Article 11); and that "Sudden changes in the type of quantity of feed and feeding procedures shall be avoided except in cases of emergency. Methods of feeding and feed additives which cause injury or distress to the birds shall not be permitted" (Article 15). Further improvements could certainly be made for all animals kept for farming purposes.

 

43.In 1991, the Assembly held a debate on the quality of agricultural and food products focusing on the labelling of such products to satisfy consumer demand. (Doc. 6347, Recommendation 1142 (1991)). In 1994, a new debate was held on food and health (Doc. 7083, Recommendation 1244 (1994)), which also stressed the importance of giving more emphasis to research into all aspects of the safety of food, and to work for more international co-operation and consensus between experts at national and international level in this field. The recommendation further calls for the promotion of the production of healthy food.

 

7. Renewable raw materials for industry and the energy sector

 

44.The Seminar on this subject, organised by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and hosted by the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm on 6 September 1996, clearly showed that policy reforms are needed in most European countries and in the European Union in order to achieve sustainable use of resources. The use of renewable raw materials from agriculture and forestry for energy production, combined with other renewable energy systems, allows Sweden to phase out the use of nuclear energy and to replace fossil fuels.

 

45.The City of Stockholm and other cities in Sweden are running their buses on ethanol or are in the process of doing so. Work is also underway to introduce lorries running on ethanol for urban transport. Pollution levels from these vehicles are extremely low and the costs only moderately higher than that of environmental class 1 diesel: SEK 29.40 per 10 km for ethanol, compared with 21.01 per 10 km for diesel (1993).

 

46.Sweden has already built some 80 district heating plants using biomass (energy crops, forest products) of which 10 co-generate electricity. It has also built some 16 pellet factories to satisfy heating and electricity generating facilities. The use of wood chips or pellets for heating and electricity generation will become increasingly interesting. During the Seminar the Committee was informed that 1 kWh in Sweden costs 0.12-0.16 SEK when produced from wood chips, 0.17-0.20 when produced from pellets and 0.40 SEK for a house-owner when produced from oil. Renewable energy production must, however, not be taxed in the same way as energy production using fossil fuels. The use of wood powder would increase efficiency but gasification of the raw materials or the use of pyrolysis will, in the future, yield the best energy conversion results. The ashes from these processes can be used as fertilizer.

 

47.Biomass-generated energy already accounts for more than 20% of the total energy consumption in Sweden. Hydropower approaches 30% of total production and wind energy installations are promoted with a capital subsidy of 35%. Another important measure to promote decentralised renewable energy production is to guarantee that excess energy can be delivered to the public grid. Your Rapporteur has taken initiatives for the introduction of such legislation in Germany, where buy pay-back rates of 90% on average consumer end-prices are available for wind-energy installations below 500 KW and a fixed price is paid for electricity generated by the use of biofuels.

 

48.One single example can illustrate the effects of biomass-use on CO2 emissions. In the town of Enköping in Sweden, which in 1981 used 97% fossil fuels for its heating plant, the emission of CO2 was 63,000 tons. Today, biomass is being used for the heating and electricity generation and the emission of CO2 has fallen to near zero.

 

49.A system of decentralised energy production like the one under development in Sweden would also bring new economic activities and employment to rural areas. In a recent study, the Federation of Swedish Farmers estimate that the use of wood residues for energy production creates 600-700 full-time jobs per TWh (1012Wh)

 

50.Nature offers, through different plants, reliable "living chemical factories" which are unique in converting carbon dioxide (which is free of charge and abundant) and water (with the aid of free solar energy) to interesting molecules and materials. Nitrogen, phosphorous and some other minerals have to be supplied from the soil. These "factories" are producing large amounts of chemical raw materials, such as cellulose, carbohydrates, starches, proteins, fats and oils, gums, etc, but also very complex special chemicals that can be, and already are, used in pharmaceuticals, insecticides, etc. The enzyme systems working in the plant cells are very precise in producing a certain carbon chain length with eg, a double bond in a certain position (erucic acid) or stereo-specific molecules (sugars, amino acids). The results are special compounds with other properties than those that petrochemistry can make.

 

51.Vegetable oils are the dominating industrial raw materials from agriculture. About 15% of the world production of 19 million tons is today used for industrial products. Vegetable oils are mainly used in soaps and detergents but also as emulsifiers, in paints and cosmetics. New applications for oils are such as in biodegradable lubricants (cutting oils, saw chain oil), hydraulic oils, printing inks, special nylons, etc.

 

52.Starches and sugars from different plants and from lignocellulosic materials can be used for the production of biodegradable plastics as well as for the production of biofuels. Proteins can also be used for the production of plastic materials but these are mostly water-sensitive.

 

53.In conclusion, policies in all the sectors concerned will need adjustments for the promotion of the use of renewable raw materials for industry and the energy sector. The Assembly's Resolution 979 (1992) on agriculture's (including forestry) contribution to enhancing energy security and saving the global environment, is, in this connection, still valid.

 

8. Conclusions

 

54.It is evident that the increasing world population and our present use of resources have resulted in serious threats to the Earth's ecosystem. There is a need to change policies for the promotion of sustainable resources management. Agriculture, aquaculture, forestry and fisheries will also need to adapt to this new goal. The present report has in particular focused on the interface between these sectors and problems related to the survival of biotopes and the maintenance of biodiversity; the need to improve soil and water resources management; the importance of fighting air pollution; the interest to give more emphasis to food quality and the necessity of promoting the use of renewable raw materials for use in industry and for energy production. The problems of food security and population control will be dealt with in a separate report to the Assembly, which will be based on the findings of the World Food Summit (13-17 November 1996).

 

55.The process of changing our present production systems will take time but we have no other choice if we want the planet Earth and humanity to survive. This process of change will also lead to the creation of new activities and the revival of others in rural areas and will strengthen the rural economy and society's well-being as a whole. The Assembly's report on a European Charter for Rural Areas (Doc. 7507, Recommendation 1296 (1996)) proposes a political framework for this development.

 

56.The major issues in the present report, which should be reiterated to Council of Europe member governments, to the organisation itself and to the European Union are:

 

57.More specifically, it could be recommended to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to include in the work programme of the organisation:

 

58.The UN Economic Commission for Europe should, in close co-operation with the European Union, the OECD and, where appropriate, the Council of Europe, continue and strengthen work for the establishment of satisfactory pan-European regulations for the coservation of clean air.

 

59.Finally, given the global nature of the challenges facing the use and exploitation of the Earth's natural and cultivated renewable resources by agriculture, aquaculture, forestry and fisheries, it seems relevant to organise a parliamentary summit, inviting some major non-European parliaments and representatives of the professions concerned, for a reassessment of policies in these fields and for the promotion of sustainable rural development.

 

 

Reporting committee: Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

Committee for opinion: Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities.

Budgetary implication for the Assembly: none

Reference to committee: Doc 7238 and Reference No. 2138 of 7 November 1996

Draft resolution adopted unanimously, draft recommendation adopted with one abstention, by the committee on 30 May 1997.

Members of the committee: Mrs Johansson (Chair), Seiler, Figel (Vice-Chairmen), MM. Adamiak, Alexander, Bernardini, Carvalho, Cerný, Chulakov, Ciupaila, Collavini, Connolly, Couveinhes, Diana, Eltz, Ghesquière, Ghimpu, Hadjidemetriou, Haraldsson, Hoejland, Holte, Hornung, Jeambrun, Kharitonov, Kiratlioglu, Korkeaoja, Koulouris, van der Linden (Alternate: Woltjer), Lord Mackie of Benshie, (Alternate: Mr Etherington), Mrs Moser, MM. Penz, Prusak, Rippinger, Mrs Rugate, MM. Rupar, Sainz Garcia, Scheer (Alternate: Behrendt, Vice-Chairman), Steolea, Szakál, Telgmaa, Tripunovski, Vella.

 

N.B. The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics.

Secretary to the committee: Mr Sixto

 

Note: 1by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development