Development of Future Scenarios for Sustainable Pesticide Use and Achievement of Pesticide-use and Risk-reduction Targets Announced in the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies by 2030

Book excerpt: The European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) commissioned RAND Europe and expert advisors to conduct a foresight study to develop appropriate future scenarios on the use of pesticides to 2030 and beyond, aligning with the 2030 pesticide-use and risk-reduction targets announced in the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies and associated organic farming targets. The study's purpose was to examine the sustainable use of pesticides in promoting sustainable food systems and protecting public health and the environment. These targets include reducing the use and risk of chemical pesticides and more hazardous pesticides by 50 per cent by 2030. Another goal is to increase the proportion of EU agricultural land dedicated to organic farming to at least 25 per cent. The study will help formulate an appropriate policy trajectory for the future, including how best to accomplish these ambitious pesticide-reduction targets. The study considers the European Union's (EU's) aims to protect food security, production and quality, and producers' incomes and viability in the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) while avoiding possible adverse consequences in non-EU countries, including developing countries. The foresight approach provides a mechanism for examining different pesticide-use variables and their potential policy implications under different future realities, providing valuable policy-development insights into managing future pesticide use.