European Research Alliance: Towards chemical pesticide free agriculture

The number of chemical pesticides available to European farmers is dwindling. Pesticides lose efficiency as pests, pathogens and weeds develop resistance. National and transnational action programs are since long in place to reduce pesticide risks. They are retracted when found harmful to human health, biodiversity and the environment. Few new pesticides appear on the market.

A transdiciplinary agenda

Novel approaches and technologies have to be developed in order to sustainably protect our crops and manage weeds and pests using less or no pesticides. SLU collaborate with researchers and stakeholders across Europe to develop and implement a transdisciplinary research and innovation agenda that is aligned with the "European Green Deal" priorities aiming to deliver environmentally friendly, sustainable, fair, just and competitive agri-food system.

A strong demand from public authorities, agriculture professionals, and society in general, across Europe, has spurred collaborative research to accelerate the agroecological transition. To face a challenge of this magnitude the joint declaration of intent “Towards a Chemical Pesticide-free Agriculture” aims to rethink the way research is carried out and develop new common research and experimentation strategies, not just at a national level, but throughout the continent. The alliance research philosophy is based on zero-pesticide as a non-prescriptive scenario for research and innovation.

A declaration signed by 24 research organisations

This declaration was signed on 23 February 2020 by 24 research organisations from 16 European countries. Driven by the French Institute INRAE and its German counterparts ZALF and JKI, this unprecedented endeavour has brought the European research community together around this ambitious vision of an agriculture free of chemical pesticides.

The declaration was formalised at the Paris International Agricultural Show, with support of the French Ministries in charge of Agriculture and Research, in presence of Amelie de Montchalin, The French State Secretary of EU Affairs, establishes a European research alliance, aiming to build a scientific roadmap that will soon be presented to the European Commission, as a contribution to the European Green Deal.

Since then, the European Research Alliance kept growing and it now gathers 34 members from 20 European Countries.