Report: EU Pesticide Rules To Hamper Production
20 February 2008 Pesticide rules called “overly stringent” could lead to a decline in crop production and hinder the EU’s ability to be self-sufficient, according to a new report by Italian research institute Nomisma.
The report, “European Agriculture of the Future: The role of Plant Production Products,” was commissioned by agrochemical manufacturers Syngenta and Bayer CropScience. It examines the impact of the revised EU pesticide regulations on the competitiveness of EU food production.
According to the study, proposed EU measures would lead to serious yield reduction in several crops, such as wheat and potatoes, which could fall by 29% and 33%, respectively.
Syngenta said the challenge within the EU was to create a balance between hazard and risk in the assessment of crop protection products. “If we deny farmers these tools by failing to find such a balance,” the company said, “we run the risk of outsourcing our food supply beyond the EU’s borders, where quality and sustainability standards may not be as stringent. This could result in unnecessarily high food prices for Europe’s consumers and threaten jobs in the agri-food industry.”
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