On 28 June, VIRTIGATION co-organised with plant health sister projects a highly impactful online event focused on supporting the transition towards pesticide reduction in the EU.
Gathering new momentum for pesticide reduction in EU
The online event, co-organised by VIRTIGATION with its EU-funded sister projects PestNu, SPRINT, IPM Works, IPM Decisions and BIOVEXO, aimed at gathering new momentum for pesticide reduction policies in the EU. As the EU Commission had recently withdrawn its controversial proposal for a Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products (SUR), this symposium came at a crucial place to engage IPM stakeholders on the necessity of robust and ambitious pesticide reduction policies in the EU.
As part of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, there are currently only two non-legally binding pesticide reduction targets. Namely, a 50% reduction in the use and risk of chemical pesticides, and a 50% reduction in the use of more hazardous pesticides. The EU Commission publishes each year updates on progress at EU level towards these non-binding pesticide reduction targets.
EU projects finding alternatives to chemical pesticides
More than 150 participants joined the discussions, out of +300 registrations, demonstrating the high relevance of the VIRTIGATION co-led event. Practitioners, researchers, industry representatives and policymakers came together to explore not only suitable alternatives to chemical pesticides, as e.g. biopesticides, but also to find possibilities to scale up the application of sustainable pesticide use strategies like IPM in the EU.
Each of the EU-funded plant health projects showcased their recent research results and the impact they achieved so far in moving away from chemical pesticides, and towards pesticide reduction and alternatives like biopesticides. VIRTIGATION coordinator KU Leuven, represented by researcher Kumar Vasudevan, outlined the project’s progress attained so far in developing new biopesticide formulations for whitefly control in greenhouses, based on natural plant extracts.
More research and education needed to advance IPM
The online event concluded with a spirited panel debate, chaired by Matt Reed (SPRINT project, University of Gloucestershire, UK). Elise Vogel, plant virologist at DCM CORP, the VIRTIGATION partner leading our research on integrated virus and vector management, represented VIRTIGATION in the panel debate. The panellists agreed that IPM is favorable for food sovereignty in Europe, but that it is important to better engage growers and consumers about its use and benefits in the EU. Moreover, it is crucial to stress the various human health and benefits from reducing pesticides in food, water and air. Elise Vogel stressed in this regard that European consumers would be willing to invest more for produce grown in such an environmentally friendly way.
However, the panellists also noted that for IPM to scale up faster in the EU, more research would be notably needed on biocontrol solutions (e.g. on slugs), and that biocontrol solutions were not existing yet for all plant pests. Furthermore, a broad application of IPM would require redesign of current farming systems in the EU. Elise Vogel from VIRTIGATION also underlined the need to stimulate growers to make it interesting for them to use IPM, and to illustrate to them the many benefits associated with its use, i.e. for their farm and the value of their grown produce.
Policy recommendations as follow-up to the event
As an outcome from this highly inspiring event, VIRTIGATION and its plant health sister projects will develop policy recommendations for EU policymakers, in particular the next EU Commission and Parliament, on designing the future of pesticide reduction in Europe. Stay tuned and watch this space for more to come soon in this regard!
Further relevant links:
- EU Commission platform “Farmer’s toolbox for IPM”
- IPM Decisions project platform to support growers in deciding on IPM application on their farm
- IPM Works project toolbox for IPM solutions
