EU Aims to Halve Pesticide Use by 2030 Under Green Food Plan

EU Aims to Halve Pesticide Use by 2030 Under Green Food Plan

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-21/eu-aims-to-require-halving-pesticide-use-under-green-food-plan

Author: Lyubov Pronina and Aine Quinn

The European Commission on June 22, 2022 proposed to use legally binding targets to reach its plan, which stops short of an overall ban on pesticides and focuses instead on organic products and other alternatives. The plan would prohibit using pesticides in public spaces and around facilities like schools and hospitals. Pests and diseases reduce crop yields by 20% to 40% globally, according to CABI, a UK-based nonprofit that researches agriculture. But as insects become more resistant to pesticides, farmers use more chemicals, raising concerns about the impact on wildlife and human health. In the EU, 50% of land cultivated with crops dependent on pollinators already face a pollination deficit, according to the commission.