Double trouble – biodiversity losses, greater than thought

A study on European species listed as threatened found that a fifth of all species are at risk of extinction, with invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates facing significant threats. Extrapolating this data to a global scale suggests that two million species are at risk of extinction, double the UN's previous estimate. The main cause of this biodiversity loss is attributed to animal agriculture, with agricultural land-use change identified as a major threat.

The comprehensive analysis reaffirms the significant impact of animal agriculture on biodiversity on a continental scale. The study underscores the urgent need to address the challenges posed by agricultural practices to prevent further losses in biodiversity. The findings call for immediate action to protect and preserve species at risk of extinction to prevent irreversible damage to ecosystems.