Sustainable agriculture

The European Green Deal

It is a vast and comprehensive plan of European Union for sustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More economics.

It is a new growth strategy that aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use.¹

SustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More agriculture is an important part of the European Green Deal and the transfer has already started: European agriculture is the only system of world-wide importance, that lowered the greenhouse gasses emissions (by 20 % since 1990). According to ECThe European Commission is the EU’s politically independent executive arm. It is alone responsible for drawing up proposals for new European legislati… More, the risk from pesticide usage has decreased by 20 % in past 5 years.^{1, 2}

One of the main goals of Farm to Fork Strategy is lowering consumption of dangerous pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More by 50 % and synthetic fertilizers by 20 % by the end of 2030. To reach this aim, EU will support alternative ways of ecological approaches in agriculture.²

1 Production

2 Processing

3 Distribution

4 Retail

5 Consumers

Scheme: Farm to Fork Strategy

Farmers are the first one who feel the effect of biodiversity loss. However, they are also the first ones who benefit from its recovery. The European Green Deal plans to transfer at least 10 % of agricultural land into landscape with high-diversity features. Furthermore, 25 % of agricultural land should be used for ecological farming by 2030.³

The Green Deal is an integral part of this Commission’s strategy to implement the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda and the sustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More development goals.¹

UN for sustainable agriculture

UN established 17 SustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More Development Goals that should be reached by 2030.

The main goal of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) is to fight famine. Among all their activities, they regularly monitor and evaluate the impact of pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More to the environment and human health. Together with WHO they set the limits for pesticide residues in food (JMPR – Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues).

There are three crucial international agreements established by UNEP (UN Environment Programme) that prevent people from agrochemicals exposure.

Basel Convention

1992

The signatory countries undertake to control cross-border transport of toxic waste and toxic waste management.

Stockholm Convention

2001

Originally, it limited 12 persistent organic pollutants, mainly pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More. Many other coumpounds has been added on the blacklist. In 2019 the Stockholm conventionStockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed on 22 May 2001 in Stockholm and effective from … was transformed into European Regulation (EU 2019/1021).

Rotterdam Convention

2004

It commits the countries to exchange information on dangerous chemicals and pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More in the international trade.

Most of the countries signed all these conventions. However, following these rules can be problematic on some of them. USA has signed all three conventions, but never ratified.

Pesticides and sustainable agriculture

IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is a combination of methods that can help to reduce or fully eliminate pesticide use, while keeping high yields.

The methods include:

pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More replacement by less toxic compounds
targeted application of pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More
pest-resistant crop breeding
antagonists, predators, and pest parasites release
pheromones and insect traps
crop rotation, host-free seasons, seed and seedbed preparation, use of wild crops to push-pull pests.⁴

Effectivity of IPM in 85 FFS programs has been studied. Farmers educated in IPM could increase their yields by 40 %, while pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More use decreased by 30 %. 30 % of farms in FFS project in Asia and Africa stopped using pesticidesPesticides are products and agents designed to eliminate plant and animal pests, to protect plants, to protect supplies and products, to protect premi… More at all. Education was the main driver if this improvement.⁴

References

¹Comission, E. Document 52019DC0640, 2019, COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The European Green Deal. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/CS/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52019DC0640.

²Comission, E. Document 52020DC0381, 2020, COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1590404602495&uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0381.

³Comission, E. Document 52020DC0380, 2020, COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 Bringing nature back into our lives. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1590574123338&uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0380.

⁴Pretty, J. and Z. P. Bharucha. Integrated Pest Management for SustainableAn attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future. One famous definition of susta… More Intensification of Agriculture in Asia and Africa. Insects. 2015, 6(1). doi: 10.3390/insects6010152.