EU plans to halve the use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural production

Last week, the European Parliament supported the "farm-to-fork" strategy, which provides for a 50% reduction in the use of fertilizers by European agricultural producers. RealAgriculture.com.

The European Commission believes that the new strategy will make food production in the EU environmentally friendly. By 2030, it is planned to introduce restrictions on the use of pesticides, fertilizers and antimicrobials on farms.

It is reported that European farmers will have to reduce the use of pesticides by 50%, the use of fertilizers, including manure, by 20%, while sales of antimicrobials and antibiotics used in animal husbandry and Aquaculture Cultivation will decrease by 50%.

Under the new restrictions, 25% of agricultural land in the EU should be cultivated using organic farming technologies, and the use of land for agricultural crops should be reduced by 10%.

Pekka Pesonen, secretary general of the Copa-Cogeca Farmers ' Association, believes that the worst consequence of reducing the use of fertilizers will be a decrease in yields and an increase in food imports to Europe.

He said that so far the only detailed analysis of the consequences has been conducted by USDA experts. According to him, if restrictions are imposed, European farmers will be forced to look for alternative technologies and methods of protecting crops and animals in order to compensate for the projected production losses.

It is worth noting that the restrictions imposed by the European Union will have significant consequences for Canadian agricultural producers and exporters of agricultural products.

Recall that the Argentine authorities limited the volume of wheat and corn exports in 2021/22 MG in order to avoid a shortage of grain on the domestic market and stop the growth of food prices in the country, which is struggling with high inflation.