Because we will
no longer encounter them

Austrian sustainability expert Werner Lampert is always shaking things up with his controversial opinions. He defended organic farming as a model for the future long before the general public saw through it. Now he challenges everyone to visualize what the loss of biodiversity means and once again encourages a new perspective.

Thelatest report from the World Biodiversity Council estimates that 1 million species are threatened with extinction. What do such reports trigger in you?

The strange thing is that the expression "1 million species" does not trigger anything, because this quantity is unimaginable, it is species that cannot be imagined. The report anonymizes extinction the moment it speaks of 1 million species, human perception is disconnected from the disappearance.

So instead, imagine specifically what is dying out. In the last few weeks I have been hiking in the mountains at over 2000 m and I suddenly realized - where are all the butterflies? When I walked here 20 years ago, there were butterflies everywhere. There are hardly any butterflies left - that's what horrifies you. We really feel a sense of loss, but not just a general loss, but also a personal one. Because we will no longer meet them, they will no longer exist. What I felt even more dramatically was the loss of bird diversity. Birds have declined dramatically.

Think about what delights you on a summer morning, maybe it's the dragonfly that flies towards you. That will no longer exist, - that will no longer exist. We are no longer talking about general losses, about 1 million species, these are very personal losses and we have to work massively against them.

Whatmeasures do you take in your everyday life to protect and promote biodiversity?

I always had a large rose garden, but then I looked at it from a different angle, namely in terms of how interesting it is for insects, for bees, bumblebees, wasps, butterflies, dragonflies - my favorite insect - and realized that it's actually not very interesting. As a result, I completely reworked it.

I evaluated each plant in terms of its food supply for insects, the hymenoptera, and if it was no good, I replaced it with another plant, no matter how much I liked it. I even have a beehive with brown bees from Pinzgau in my garden, and a pond with frogs, toads and snakes - I counted five.

I have also been buying only organic food since 1967. This is because well-managed organic farming, such as at Prüf Nach!, is very sustainable and pays great attention to biodiversity.

I really try to do a lot and I really enjoy it.

Theloss of biodiversity is also said to jeopardize food security because important services provided by nature such as pollination, water purification, etc. are lost. What can regional and sustainable agriculture do in this context?

In the regions where I work with my team, we are lucky that there is still a great deal of local intactness. All the global problems exist, of course, but there is also a high level of biodiversity. Regional sustainable agriculture can preserve this, it still has an old, pre-industrial knowledge, there are still ties to nature. It takes the responsibility away from politics, so that something really goes further and we can take the change into our own hands.

With our "Prüf Nach!" guidelines, we are trying to slowly, not dictatorially, lead farmers to be more mindful of biodiversity. And surveys of mountain farms show that this is effective. Their pastures are more diverse than those of conventional farms.

This also has a social component. A farm that has good biodiversity, where the local and micro-ecosystems are still intact, naturally creates a completely different atmosphere for a potential successor, son and daughter, so that a good takeover can take place.

And as consumers, we need to be aware that nowhere can we contribute as much to biodiversity as when we eat. Food is the biggest destroyer of biodiversity, and if you think about what you eat and the impact it has on the environment, nature and biodiversity, you will completely change your diet. Not just because it's good for us, but because we want to do something for the community, for biodiversity.
I think today we have reached the day when we no longer have to talk and say: -Please buy organic food because it is smarter for you and for your children- but there is no alternative to organic farming, only with organic farming can we steer against this impending catastrophe.

Agrobiodiversity is alsodeclining. At least 1000 domesticated mammal breeds that are used for agriculture and food are threatened with extinction, 600 are already extinct. With your book "The Cow - A Tribute", you have created a monument to the world's cattle. Why is the preservation of indigenous cattle breeds so important?

In preparation for the book, I went to Rome to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which is trying to preserve a great treasure trove of indigenous domestic animal breeds. At the time, I asked about the background to this huge commitment. "Because the changes caused by global warming cannot be managed by the 'designed' domestic animals we have now," was the answer. They wouldn't survive! We need robust breeds like the old domestic animal breeds.

In addition, the indigenous domestic animal breeds are also part of a regional, local culture. Even the European Union will only work if we succeed in keeping the regional characteristics alive, giving them further life, breathing vitality into them. Then Europe would become the Europe of our dreams.

Chinapays farmers high subsidies to keep and care for the rare Caidamu cattle breed. What do you think of such conservation measures?

When the FAO launched a program for indigenous domestic animal breeds, all countries participated with quite a lot of enthusiasm, only two rejected it outright, not seeing the point of the task - that was the USA and China. After a few years, China suddenly got on board and today it is the most active country in keeping indigenous breeds of domestic animals. The Chinese have realized the incredible value of the old domestic animal breeds, that they need these genes if they want to feed their population in the future. China spends the most money today! If someone keeps old breeds of domestic animals, they get so much money that they can live in the city and afford a herdsman.

TheAlpine region is considered to be particularly rich in species, even by European standards, with 4500 vascular plants. What role do cows play in the mountain regions?

Cows play a very important role. In her book "Die Kuh ist kein Klimakiller!" (Cows are not climate killers!), Anita Idel clearly describes the great achievements of cattle in the Alpine region. Cattle have shaped it for decades and millennia. Their feeding activity prevents the alpine pastures from becoming overgrown. The forests in the Alps are rather species-poor, whereas the open areas are very diverse.

At the same time, cattle increase soil fertility. Because "today's grass roots are tomorrow's humus", writes Anita Idel. That is a wonderful image. Firstly, these humus soils bind an incredible amount of carbon and secondly, they are the basis for good plant growth.

In contrast, there are green deserts. Meadows that are green, but where you can count the different grasses on one hand, where diversity no longer thrives. Frequent mowing, fertilizers and pesticides have ruined everything, the liquid manure applied destroys everything.

Doyou still have hope?

I believe that every human being is created by God and that God has placed us in a world with only those problems that we can solve as human beings. Many futurologists think that we will easily master the current challenges with technology, with artificial intelligence. I don't believe that for a second, I trust in the creativity, strength and intelligence of people. And when people understand that we are not isolated, lost people, but a community and that we belong together, then we will really start to be able to solve the problems.