EU Use of Land for Consumption Purposes Environmentally Dangerous

Extensive use of land for non-food but consumption-related purposes, like bio-energy, contributed to increased pressure on ecosystems, as well as social impacts, especially, in the areas outside the European Union, according to the report by the Friends of the Earth Europe, the largest grassroots environmental network in Europe.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Union needs to reconsider its consumption habits, as its management of land for production and consumption purposes is environmentally dangerous, a report by a major environmental watchdog revealed Wednesday.

"Nearly three quarters of the EU Land Footprint is related to the consumption of animal products, pointing to a need to shift dietary consumption patterns… Research also indicates a growing reliance on cropland outside the EU," the report by the Friends of the Earth Europe, the largest grassroots environmental network in Europe, reads.

Extensive use of land for non-food but consumption-related purposes, like bio-energy, contributed to increased pressure on ecosystems, as well as social impacts, especially, in the areas outside the bloc, the report stressed.

According to the watchdog, the European Union "has limited knowledge of the amount of land…[it] uses globally, and the related, environmental, social and economic impacts," which leads to a lack of coherence on action to reduce the related global risks.

The European Union needs to properly consider consumption-based tools, as well as to measure, monitor and reduce the quantity and impacts of all the land used, the report stated, adding that the current demand is growing, in particular, due to national EU policies.