FLF, Alm.del - 2013-14 - Bilag 143: Henvendelse af 4/2-14 fra Økologisk Landsforening om katalog over ideer til løsning af majs-til-biogas problemet

BackgroundGerman energy policy enhances cropping of maiz for biogas productionDue to the very favorable price, biomaize is winning in the competition for landThis increases the pressure specifically on the organic dairy production and in general on farmerswho want to produce food.This is a problem both in Germany and in the southern part of Denmark.The German government has decided to end this energy policy in 2030. In others ways this is fartoo late to change the situationProposals presented and discussedDanish Ministry of Food: Make a synthesis of the problems (structural, employment, economical,ecological) based on the German knowledge and seen in the Danish contextCalculating and defining new organic conversion and area support payments that reflect higherland prices and lease prices, driven by maize for biogas production. There is an income loss forlandowners, who chose not to grow maize, and compensation may require a doubling or tripling oforganic conversion and area payments in the affected areas.Requirement of crop rotation, as a CAP greening requirement in Germany and Denmark (and whatabout other neighbor countries as Poland, Holland, Belgium, France etc.?).Requirement of larger diversity of inputs to biogas plants—a maximum maize input of 25%.Green fees on monocropping. Fee provenue is returned to farmers who use a crop rotation.Support for alternative crops, grown extensively by organic farmers. Clover (in mixtures) forexample.Biomass fee structure to discourage monocultures and encourage use of non-food inputs to biogasplants.Restriction on maize (or use of pesticides) in all areas of importance for drinking water supplies orpreservation of biodiversity.Possible EU case against biomaize.And of course, reopening the issue of price guarantees for biogas.ActionsInforming and encouraging ministers to talk and search for solutionsInquiry to the EU-Commission and the ParliamentChallenging the energy sector to take responsibility for its role in agriculturePress arrangement for instance on the German/Danish border, contact with[email protected], and with their local chairman ofBioland, Jens Masslo, in Schleswig-Holstein[email protected]Information and contacts, GermanyContact in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture could be the Director-general for “Bio-basedEconomy, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry”, Clemens Neumann[email protected]The Thünen Institute of Farm Economics (federal)in Brauschweig has made a series of studies andreports about the consequences of the biogas maiz. Contact Dir.u. Prof.[email protected].:“Organic farming and bioenergy production – conflicting goals and approaches to a solution”oo

German biomaiz: Proposals for initiatives to change the negative role of conventional German biomaize

on organic farming.