Pesticide reduction amidst food and feed security concerns in Europe

Schneider, Kevin; Barreiro-Hurle, Jesus; Rodriguez-Cerezo, Emilio

doi:10.1038/s43016-023-00834-6

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…This is plausible because the use of herbicides helps to reduce crop yield losses due to competition from weeds. Thus, it enhances crop productivity (Schneider et al, 2023), which in return leads to improved household food security.…”

Section: Ols Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Average and heterogeneous effects of smallholder farm sizes on dietary diversity in northern Ghana

Addai,

Ng'ombe,

Temoso

2023

Review Development Economics

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The relationship between farm size and dietary diversity has recently gained attention among development practitioners and policymakers. To study this issue, we utilized cross‐sectional data from 900 farm households in Northern Ghana. The analysis employs three econometric approaches—ordinary least squares, two‐stage least squares, and instrumental variable (IV) quantile regression. We subjected our estimates to Conley‐Hansen‐Rossi bound tests to assess the validity of total farmland under household control as an IV for farm size, which serves to illustrate the robustness of the causal inferences linking farm size to household dietary diversity. The results show that a 1‐ha increase in cultivated land improves household dietary diversity score by 3.221 units. The effect of cultivated land on dietary diversity is enhanced by market information, use of improved seeds, chemical fertilizers and herbicides, and overall household asset value. In conclusion, the results indicate that farm size increases household dietary diversity when moving along the dietary diversity distribution. This highlights the importance of considering the influence of farm size at different points along the conditional dietary diversity score distribution, as relying solely on mean effects may obscure important counteracting effects.

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Section: Ols Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Average and heterogeneous effects of smallholder farm sizes on dietary diversity in northern Ghana

Addai,

Ng'ombe,

Temoso

2023

Review Development Economics

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“…Reducing pesticide risks implies lower external costs of the agricultural sector and contributes to the achievement of many agri-environmental policy objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals (Schneider et al, 2023). In particular, it reduces pollution of ecosystems (e.g., water bodies), reduces biodiversity loss and reduces impacts on human health (Möhring et al, 2020;Tang et al, 2021).…”

Section: Stricter Pesticide Policies Bring Social Benefits and Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, it reduces pollution of ecosystems (e.g., water bodies), reduces biodiversity loss and reduces impacts on human health (Möhring et al, 2020;Tang et al, 2021). Reduced pesticide use can also have positive long-term effects on agricultural productivity, for example, through improved soil biodiversity and pollination services (Schneider et al, 2023). However, there may also be negative indirect effects on the environment.…”

Section: Stricter Pesticide Policies Bring Social Benefits and Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, land use may gradually shift away from crops that currently rely heavily on pesticide use. Systematic changes in land use and crop yields and greater variability in production could have an impact on European self-sufficiency in different crops, which is a critical point of discussion in policy negotiations (Schneider et al, 2023).…”

Section: Stricter Pesticide Policies Bring Social Benefits and Costsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Europe's ambitious pesticide policy and its impact on agriculture and food systems

Finger

2024

Agricultural Economics

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European countries have set ambitious policy goals to reduce the risks of pesticides to the environment and human health. European agriculture could play a leading role in the transition to a low pesticide risk future, with various societal benefits. However, such a transition also involves trade‐offs, costs, and risks for farmers and society. Here, we summarize possible implications for agriculture and food systems in Europe and beyond and discuss avenues for future research.

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“…Not surprisingly, farmers, agronomy advisers, researchers, and policymakers across grains, horticulture, and textile industries, are showing a growing interest -and in many instances openly advocating for -more sustainable pest control management options based on reducing pesticide use while preserving crop productivity and profitability (Lechenet et al 2017;Wilson and Tisdell 2001;Tilman et al 2002;Foley et al 2011;Hossard et al 2014;Dudley et al 2017;Lykogianni et al 2021;Schneider et al 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute toxicity effects of pesticides on beneficial organisms – Dispelling myths for a more sustainable use of chemicals in agricultural environments

Mata,

Knapp,

McDougall

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Agricultural practitioners, researchers and policymakers are increasingly advocating for integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce pesticide use while preserving crop productivity and profitability. Selective pesticides, putatively designed to act on pests while minimising impacts on off-target organisms, have emerged as one such option – yet evidence of whether these compounds control pests without adversely affecting natural enemies and other beneficial species (henceforth beneficials) remains scarce. At present, the selection of pesticides compatible with IPM often considers a single (or a limited number of) widely distributed beneficial species, without considering undesired effects on co-occurring beneficials. In this study, we conducted standardised laboratory bioassays to assess the acute toxicity effects of 20 chemicals on 15 beneficial species at multiple exposure timepoints, with the specific aims to: (1) identify common and diverging patterns in acute toxicity responses of tested beneficials; (2) determine if the effect of pesticides on beetles, wasps and mites is consistent across species within these groups; and (3) assess the impact of mortality assessment timepoints on International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC) toxicity classifications. Our work demonstrates that in most cases, chemical toxicities cannot be generalised across a range of beneficial insects and mites providing biological control, a finding that was found even when comparing impacts among closely related species of beetles, wasps and mites. Additionally, we show that toxicity impacts increase with exposure length, pointing to limitations of IOBC protocols. This work challenges the notion that chemical toxicities can be adequately tested on a limited number of ‘representative’ species; instead it highlights the need for careful consideration and testing on a range of regionally and seasonally relevant beneficial species.

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Pesticide reduction amidst food and feed security concerns in Europe

Cited by 17 publications

References 43 publications

Average and heterogeneous effects of smallholder farm sizes on dietary diversity in northern Ghana

Average and heterogeneous effects of smallholder farm sizes on dietary diversity in northern Ghana

Europe's ambitious pesticide policy and its impact on agriculture and food systems

Acute toxicity effects of pesticides on beneficial organisms – Dispelling myths for a more sustainable use of chemicals in agricultural environments

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