Land It is vital Europe takes urgent action to measure and reduce its use of the world’s limited land

17 April 2013

Between 2009 and 2012, French banks granted more than 4 billion euro in loans to European producers of agrofuels, and have issued these companies stocks and bonds for a total amount of more than 3 billion euro according to new research from Friends of the Earth France and Oxfam France. The groups called on French banks to stop financing agrofuel producers – who threaten global food security and are fuelling land grabs, especially in Liberia.

France
17 April 2013

Social movements in Guatemala are being increasingly criminalised, repressed, intimidated and subjected to human rights abuses, according to representatives of indigenous and feminist social movements, including Friends of the Earth Guatemala.

Europe's land footprint is one of the largest in the world because it imports massive amounts of food and other goods from the rest of the world every year. These goods, such as meat, dairy and forestry products, require large areas of land.

Europe's high levels of land consumption drive land-grabs, push up food prices and exacerbate social inequalities, with devastating social and environmental impacts. Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for the reduction of Europe's land footprint.

For enquiries please contact:

  • Robbie Blake
  • Ariadna Rodrigo
    • Agriculture

      Food and farming in Europe and its global impacts

    • Agrofuels

      Plant-based fuels from agriculture. Also known as biofuels

    • Biodiversity

      Species and habitat protection in Europe and around the globe

    • GMOs

      Genetically modified crops and organisms

    • Land

      Measuring Europe’s land footprint and tackling the drivers of land grabbing

    • Biodiversity

      Species and habitat protection in Europe and around the globe

    • Extractive industries

      Oil and gas exploration, and mining

    • Land

      Measuring Europe’s land footprint and tackling the drivers of land grabbing

    • Materials and waste

      Reducing, reusing and recycling resources

    • Resource use

      Europe’s consumption of land, materials, water and carbon

    • Shale gas

      Unconventional gas and the extraction process known as ‘fracking’

    • Tar sands

      Unconventional oil. Also known as oil sands

    • Water use

      Measuring Europe’s water footprint