• Based on policy work led by CIHEAM Zaragoza, IPMWORKS has provided expert testimony on pesticides use in a European Parliament hearing in relation to Sustainable Use Directive/Regulation.

IPMWORKS provided expert testimony on pesticides use in a European Parliament hearing.

On 23 May 2023, the European Parliament has organised an AGRI-ENVI joint Public Hearing on IPMWORKS to explain how Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is indeed working across over 25 demo hubs and farms across Europe. IPMWORKS agronomy experts and farmers have provided firsthand testimonial on the project´s IPM practices which demonstrate how they are successfully reducing pesticides use across Europe.

The EU-funded IPMWORKS project is working under the umbrella of the Farm to Fork Strategy, a major component of the European Green Deal, which targets a halving of pesticide use and impact. The project is developing practical solutions for farmers to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and to promote less harmful plant disease and pest solutions.

According to Nicolas Munier-Jolain (INRAE, France), IPMWORKS coordinator: “Reducing pesticide use in ‘conventional’ agriculture is possible but remains challenging, as it requires a significant re-design of farmer crop and pest management strategies and this will take time. However, reducing pesticide use should not endanger food security in Europe as non-chemical methods are efficient when properly combined, and pesticides can still be used as a justified last resort under IPM strategies. However, farmers cannot do this alone. They need to be accompanied and supported in this transition. The whole food chain has to work together to organise markets for crop diversification and inform consumers about the level of pesticide use. Farmers also need to receive a major scale-up in terms of the training, advisory and coaching support they receive (through programmes such as IPMWORKS´ peer to peer hubs).”

The dedicated IPMWORKS hearing has taken place at a crucial time when the EP is debating the reform of the Sustainable Use Directive with a proposal for a Regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products (2021/2115) which includes IPM as the cornerstone in its implementation.

CIHEAM Zaragoza's policy work within the IPMWORKS project

Part of CIHEAM Zaragoza's task in IPMWORKS is to bring the innovative and proven solutions from IPMWORKS to the attention of policy-makers to inform the EU policy debate on the sustainable use of plant protection products. CIHEAM Zaragoza is also leading the Europe-wide training task within the IPMWORKS project and undertaking communication and dissemination activities.

As a result of this engagement, CIHEAM Zaragoza was responsible for organizing an exhibition in the European Parliament last February, visited by 60 MEPs and the EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, and now has brought about the participation of IPMWORKS in the EP hearing in Brussels on 23 May 2023.

Alun Jones, head of the Projects Unit of CIHEAM Zaragoza, said: “We are grateful for the confidence that the European Parliament has bestowed in the IPMWORKS project, which is working hard to demonstrate that IPM does indeed work for farmers. With 60 MEPs attending our EP exhibition in February and now this dedicated IPMWORKS hearing, it is clear that MEPs are also demonstrating their support and belief in Integrated Pest Management. The only question that now remains is the scale, urgency and support that EU´s policy-makers will now provide to a progressive reduction in pesticides use agriculture under IPM.”

Prior to the EP hearing, CIHEAM Zaragoza took also part in a pre-briefing organised by Clara Aguilera MEP, AGRI rapporteur on the Sustainable Use Regulation in the Madrid offices of the European Parliament, which took place on International Day for Plant Health (12 May).