The Madeira Quercus Nucleus warned about the region's excessive dependence on external food supply, considering that this situation makes Madeira vulnerable to a potential global food crisis. The organization calls for the conservation of agricultural land as essential to guarantee a minimum level of resilience and food autonomy.
The article states that climate change is creating delicate situations in Europe, with heat waves in regions where they were previously rare, unprecedented forest fires, and decreased river flows. Studies on the climate impact on crops such as wheat, corn, and soy predict the decline of these productions, threatening the global food system. The insecurity caused by prolonged conflicts can also worsen food production and distribution.
Quercus criticized the lack of concern from the regional government in guaranteeing local agricultural production that reduces external dependence, considering that the uncertain context should dictate assertive and responsible policies, designed for the medium and long term, rather than focused only on immediate interests.
The organization argued that agricultural land, being a scarce strategic resource, must be safeguarded and should not be absorbed by the real estate sector or by golf courses, which are major consumers of water resources. Quercus also warned that the excessive dependence of Madeira's economy on the tourism sector constitutes a major vulnerability and called for a change of course to make the region more resilient and autonomous.
