One of the concepts most consistently overlooked within the European Union agricultural policy forum is that of ‘pesticide use reduction’. As a result of lobbying from the agrochemicals industry, discussion has instead tended to focus on ‘risk reduction’. In addition, there is now a widespread misconception that pesticides remaining on the EU market are harmless, and that the biggest threats posed by agrochemicals in Europe relate to illegal imports of unauthorised pesticides.
The chronic failure of EU agricultural policy makers to address Europe’s escalating reliance on agrochemical inputs underlies a long term trend within which pesticide consumption continues to increase unchecked. Negative impacts of intensive pesticide use have grown more evident: there is widespread contamination of food and water resources, biodiversity is in decline, and human health continues to be negatively affected.
Despite Brussels’ failure to set policies aimed at reducing the extent of pesticide consumption, a selection of national Governments, farmers’ associations, co-operatives, NGOs and retailers throughout Europe have pressed ahead in implementing strategies for reversing reliance on agrochemical inputs. Targets for pesticide use reduction have been adopted in Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, France and Germany. In several states farmers have joined together to reduce pesticide usage and to market food produce grown under reduced pesticide protocols. Elsewhere, NGOs are working both to raise greater public awareness of the problems associated with intensive pesticide usage, and engage producers in setting standards and pushing towards zero pesticides residues in food. Some major retailers are now sourcing food produce endorsed by low pesticide labels, thus providing an increased economic incentive for pesticide reduction in Europe.
This publication sets out six case studies based in countries throughout Europe in which numerous stakeholders within the food supply chain have come together to achieve concrete reductions in pesticide use. While together these initiatives cover only a small proportion of total agricultural produce grown within the EU, they provide irrefutable evidence that pesticide use reduction is not only possible within the context of mainstream agricultural production, but economically feasible within today’s free market economy. In collating the information contained in this report, our aim is to provide much needed information to all those interested in strengthening sustainable methods of crop protection and agriculture production. In particular the studies provide much needed motivation to EU policy makers, and those responsible for the implementation of National Action Plans under the forthcoming Directive for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides. In addition we wish to highlight alternative agricultural developmental pathways to those Eastern European member states whose pesticide use is at present comparatively low and to demonstrate that increased agricultural production is indeed possible without adopting Western European levels of pesticide application.
The first case study is drawn from the Netherlands and offers an example of a comparatively complete policy approach because it includes the Government-led development and implementation of a set of ‘Best Practices’ or guidelines for all major crops, with a strong component of research, extension and training to farmers. Farmers are well organised within a practitioners’ network and hold their own discussions and exchange of experiences in working groups. It also involves an environmental indicator that permits the measurement of progress and environmental impact cards aimed at helping farmers in the selection of least hazardous pesticides. Market incentives for the implementation of ‘Best Practices’ however, were limited until 2005 when the Dutch supermarket Laurus decided to be a front-runner and supply Integrated Crop Management products. Producers started supplying a limited range of 6 products to Laurus (apples, pears, strawberry, parsley, cabbage, iceberg lettuce) but have expanded to other fruit and vegetables since then.