Brussels, 30.09.2021. The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Save Bees and Farmers” has achieved a brilliant success: More than one million Europeans have cast their vote for organic farming – without synthetic pesticides – and thus for a real agricultural turnaround.

The MEP Manuela Ripa from the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) expresses her enthusiasm: “It is clear that the people in the European Union want a different agriculture. Because with the current agricultural policy we have manoeuvred ourselves into a dead end. The animal suffering caused by factory farming, the increasing pollution of drinking water with nitrates, the destruction of the soil, the decreasing biodiversity as well as the contribution of industrial agriculture to climate change are moving many people to rethink.”

Following the example of the Bavarian referendum for biodiversity “Save the Bees”, which was initiated by the ÖDP and helped Bavaria to achieve one of the best nature conservation laws in Europe, Ripa has also taken the issue to the European level with her party. The European Citizens’ Initiative “Save Bees”, which was founded in 2019, merged with the now successfully concluded ECI “Save Bees and Farmers”.

Since its foundation, the ÖDP has campaigned for more direct democracy and has already initiated several successful petitions for referendums (abolition of the Bavarian Senate, real protection of non-smokers). The new “popular petition against land grabbing in Saarland” is currently underway.

ÖDP MEP Manuela Ripa now sees the ball in the European Commission’s court. “More than one million signatures are a clear mandate to the EU Commission for sustainable agriculture. This is also in the interest of farmers, because in the last ten years a farm in Europe had to give up every three minutes. The preservation of farming traditions is inextricably linked to the idea of preserving creation. Small family-run farms must therefore be supported more by politics, so that they are no longer exposed to the pressure to grow or to give way. At the moment, unfortunately, the EU is mainly promoting industrial agriculture, which has brought us all the problems.”