Scholarly record
EUROPEAN UNION FARM TO FORK STRATEGY: PESTICIDE USE REDUCTION POSSIBILITIES
Abstract
Pesticides are traditionally used in agricultural production to protect crops against pests and diseases. However, there is growing public concern about the negative impacts of pesticides on human health and the environment. Therefore, one of the policy documents of the European Green Deal, which plays an important role in long-term agricultural development and environment-friendly management, is the Farm to Fork Strategy, which requires reducing pesticide use by 50% in the European Union (EU) by 2030. Therefore, the present research aims to examine trends in pesticide use in EU Member States (MS) to identify the potential impact of the target set by the Farm to Fork Strategy, i.e. to reduce pesticide use by 50%, on crop output value. The research applied the monographic method, statistical data analysis and scenario development methods. The research found that in 2021, according to Eurostat, the sales of pesticides in the EU totalled 356.5 thou. tonnes, with Spain, France, Italy and Germany accounting for 69% of the total. In 2016-2021, the intensity of pesticide use per ha UAA varied from 0.6 kg in Ireland and Sweden to almost 6 kg in the Netherlands. Similar differences in pesticide sales per ha arable land and crop output value were observed in EU MS. The research designed scenarios for identifying the potential impact of a 50% reduction in pesticide use on crop output value, and it was found that this would probably lead to a significant decrease in crop output value by 47-55% compared with 2021, depending on the scenario implemented, and the farmers will need to repl
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References17
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