All of this talk about European law and industrial farming might make it sound like the issue is out of the hands of the average person. But it turns out that this is not the case. On the contrary, it important that people take action on an individual level in order to preserve Biodiversity.

 

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One of the main problems for farmers, wanting to change their business practices towards more sustainable alternatives, is raising the capital required. In an interview with us, Dr Jerry van Dijk from the University of Utrecht stated: “the market share of organic food over the last years has remained roughly constant at only about 3%” [8]. This is why banks still have doubts about the viability of eco-friendly farming as a business model and so they are reluctant about giving out loans to those progressive farmers.

 

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The role of the consumer is here quite important. Increasing demand would send a signal not only to farmers but also to banks emphasizing that eco-friendly farming is supported by the public and profitable. This will ultimately allow more farmers to make the switch.

 

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Another way to support eco-friendly farming is by buying products from local markets, or directly from the farmers. This is because grocery stores take much of the profit from their sales. As a result, the farmers' profit margins are so small that they cannot afford to give much thought to how their farming practices affect the environment in general and biodiversity specifically. However, in many countries, there are online stores available offering organic food at a low price and with the convenience of delivering it directly to people‘s homes. This is a very convenient and easy way to support eco-friendly farming while also saving money.

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While in the end, it will still come down to laws and regulations enforcing these new and improved practices, every large scale political change needs to start with decisions on the individual level. It takes acts of the individual to create societal change. This societal change will be the basis for political legislation to change in accordance. It all comes down to this: change starts with you!