Sustainable agriculture

The European Green Deal

It is a vast and comprehensive plan of European Union for sustainable 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

Sustainable 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 EC, 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 pesticides 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

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 sustainable development goals.1

UN for sustainable agriculture

UN established 17 Sustainable 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 pesticides 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 pesticides. Many other coumpounds has been added on the blacklist. In 2019 the Stockholm convention was transformed into European Regulation (EU 2019/1021).

Rotterdam Convention

2004

It commits the countries to exchange information on dangerous chemicals and pesticides 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:

  • pesticides replacement by less toxic compounds
  • targeted application of pesticides
  • 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 pesticides use decreased by 30 %. 30 % of farms in FFS project in Asia and Africa stopped using pesticides at all. Education was the main driver if this improvement.4

References

1 Comission, 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.

2 Comission, 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.

3 Comission, 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.

4 Pretty, J. and Z. P. Bharucha. Integrated Pest Management for Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture in Asia and Africa. Insects. 2015, 6(1). doi: 10.3390/insects6010152.