Rising demand for wine and olive oil will cut endangered bird habitats in Europe by half in 100 years, ecologists warn

‘It is crucial to develop new agricultural methods and improve agricultural productivity to feed an increasing human population,’ says academic

Jane Dalton
Saturday 11 July 2020 00:07 BST
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Up to a third of the world's population of great bustards live in the areas that are being converted
Up to a third of the world's population of great bustards live in the areas that are being converted

The last remaining habitat for several endangered bird species in Europe could be halved in the next century because of rising demand for products such as olive oil and wine, researchers have warned.

As farmers in Spain and Portugal convert land to profitable crops that shoppers want, it will be less suitable for great bustards, little bustards, lesser kestrels and other species, their study found.

Until now, low-intensity farming of cereals – rotating crops and avoiding fertilisers and pesticides – has created semi-natural “agro-steppes” that are home to what ecologists consider important populations of “at-risk” species.

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