Strawberries danger to environment - 17th June 2022

Doñana National Park's in Spain. The land here's full of water. But it's in danger from farming.

In the past, there were many birds here, like flamingos. But strawberry farms are using too much water from the wetland.

The government wants farmers to take more water too.

Juan Romero wants to save Doñana.

Juan Romero: "Doñana is characterised as a wetland, and a wetland is the mouth of a river with water. And what we can see here is a dry land. A dry land is a desert. Doñana has no water, we've had a series of years of drought, it is true that it is a drought, but the waters of the aquifer, which are at surface level, maintained the lagoons. Those lagoons no longer exist in Doñana."

The park's in Huelva in the south of Spain. Many local people make money from Huelva's strawberry farms.

People can't agree about Doñana's future. Scientists want to save the wetland. Farmers and the government want to use its water for food.

The World Wildlife Fund wants to help Doñana and the farms.

Juanjo Carmona: "Agriculture has been based on taking water from the ground. If the groundwater runs out, agriculture dies. The only solution that the administration has proposed is to bring water from somewhere else. So, what we have to do is rethink the model in Doñana."

The local government says there isn't a problem with water. Huelva has enough water, says VOX party leader Rafael Segovia.

Rafael Segovia: "There is not a water problem. It's a lie, an artificial problem that has been created. Doñana is not in danger if we do these works."

Supermarkets want the government to stop the plan. They want to help Doñana. Farmers are worried. Supermarkets could stop buying their strawberries.