Speaker
Description
Introduction
Intensive use of pesticides in agriculture has led to negative impacts on human and ecosystem health, and to policies aiming at reducing their utilization. Alternative non-chemical pest control strategies, based on holistic Integrated Pest Management implemented in real commercial farms, have been shown to substantially reduce the reliance on pesticides (Nandillon et al., 2024). Yet, such strategies have remained poorly adopted, partly due to farmers’ risk aversion and the general belief that using less pesticides reduces farm productivity and profitability. Bringing clarity on the link between cropping practices used to reduce farm reliance on pesticides and farm outcomes is needed to support practitioners in a transition towards a more sustainable agriculture.
Methods
We explored detailed data from the DEPHY network, describing cropping system and crop and pest management in 904 commercial French farms classified into eight farm types over an average period of 9.2 years. We investigated the effects of non-chemical crop management practices used to reduce farms’ reliance on pesticides on three metrics of farm economic performances, namely margin (€/ha), production of energy (MJ/ha) and resource use efficiency (Total Factor Productivity). The marginal effect of the change in reliance on pesticides on the change in margin and gross-product was analyzed across the eight farm types. The economic feasibility to reach the 50% objective in pesticide use reduction set by the French Ecophyto National Action Plan and the Farm to Fork strategy was investigated.
Results
On average, farm reliance on pesticides was reduced by 20% and farm profitability by 13% (-100€/ha) over the studied period. Cropping practices implemented in order to reduce reliance on pesticides had contrasting effects depending on the productivity metrics used and farm type. Crop diversification was positively associated with Total Factor Productivity and had positive build-up effects on margin. Tillage intensity had positive effects on margin and production of energy. There were farms that reduced reliance on pesticides with increased margin and gross-product in all farm types but this portion differed across farm types. Farms growing large quantities of high value-added crops such as sugar beet and potato most often showed the highest reductions in both gross-product and margin. Increases in margin and gross-product with reductions in the reliance on pesticides occurred most often in farms with much grasslands. Reducing farms’ reliance on pesticides by 50% would decrease farm profitability by a further 80 €/ha on average.
Caption for the figure attached:
Figure 1. a. Evolution of profitability (y axis) and evolution of the reliance on pesticides (x axis), for 904 farms, over an average period of 9.2 years. The size of the point is proportional to the initial level of reliance on pesticides of the farm and colors correspond to four performance categories. b. Map of the eight farm types used in this study.
Discussion
This study brings insight into the consequences on farm economic performances of transitioning to an agriculture using less pesticides. The contrasted effects of reductions in the reliance on pesticides on productivity metrics across farm types illustrate the need to consider multiple aspects of farm productivity when evaluating agricultural sustainable transition. Our results shed light on key crop management practices that should be incentivized by policy makers in order to make progress towards a more sustainable agriculture.
References
Guichard, L., Dedieu, F., Jeuffroy, M.-H., Meynard, J.-M., Reau, R., Savini, I., 2017. Le plan Ecophyto de réduction d’usage des pesticides en France : décryptage d’un échec et raisons d’espérer. Cah. Agric. 26, 14002. https://doi.org/10.1051/cagri/2017004
Nandillon, R., Guinet, M., Munier-Jolain, N., 2024. Crop management strategy redesign enables a reduction in reliance on pesticides: A diachronic approach based on a diversity of French commercial farms. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 366, 108949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.108949
| Keywords | Reliance on pesticides; management strategies; real farm network; transition to sustainable agriculture; farm productivity |
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