EC Directives on the safety of marketed pesticides and on their sustainable use in farming have been brought under the umbrella of the 'Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides', creating a policy framework for the gradual decrease in use of chemical pesticides in European agriculture. However, any decreases in use of pesticides must be achieved without a decrease in farm income or in farm productivity.
The development and promotion of IPM systems is at the core of the EC's approach to decreasing use of pesticides.
We aim to provide concerted application of natural and social sciences to reduce the losses caused by pests and diseases. This will improve food security through profitable farming which provides safe and healthy food, while sustaining biodiversity, protecting the environment and decreasing agriculture's carbon footprint.
