Plant protection: banning pesticides in landscape protection areas is counterproductive

Plant protection: banning pesticides in landscape protection areas is counterproductive

Karl Bockholt, AGRARHEUTE*

© agrarfoto

Use of herbicides in cereals: voices are raised once morest the total ban on phytosanitary products, especially in the generously delimited landscape protection zones. This is especially true in densely populated regions, such as North Rhine-Westphalia.

There are strong protests once morest EU plans to ban plant protection products in environmentally sensitive protected areas. The vase seems ready to overflow. A commentary by Karl Bockholt, editor ofAGRICULTURAL TODAY. [L’article d’origine est du 15 août 2022.]

Karl Bockholt, editorial staffAGRICULTURAL TODAY.

The projects of the European Commission in terms of phytosanitary protection leave many managers perplexed. The goal of reducing more than half the use of chemicals by 2030 and to ban them completely in the future in so-called sensitive areas outrages those concerned. They rightly see this as an attack on the very existence of their farms. The consequence would be the end of many farms. This jeopardizes self-sufficiency through local food production.

A total ban, especially in landscape protection areas, leads nowhere

This applies above all to fields, pastures and meadows in landscape protection areas. In the future, no chemical phytosanitary protection should be possible there. With this ban, the bureaucrats in Brussels are obviously not only targeting natural areas, FFH (Flora-Fauna-Habitat) areas and bird protection areas.

In the former, the use of herbicides and insecticides is anyway prohibited since the insect protection package. Instead, it is now to include large areas designated for landscape and water protection.

However, this is too much. Each farm manager does not even know exactly why his land falls under landscape protection. In addition, EU plans to propose a directly applicable regulation on ” sustainable use of phytosanitary products were vaguely worded from the start. As long as it is only regarding ecologically sensitive areas, no one has an idea of ​​the extent of the ban. But if we see the complete map as a whole, we quickly understand the scope of the projects.

Food safety must be a priority

© European Environment Agency

Here are the protected areas in Germany.

If this happens, there will hardly be any areas left in the future where it is primarily a question of food and fodder. One can then wonder what the function of farmers will be in this society and to what extent food will depend in the future on imports.

The package of nature protection measures planned by the EU would in any case completely upset the current mode of operation. Even conservationists cry foul when the hoe or the weeder harrow destroy the broods of ground-nesting birds. Moreover, alternatives to chemicals once morest important diseases and pests are still rare. The reduced financial means for agricultural research and advice do not improve the situation. There are no viable concepts offering real prospects in the face of climate change.

Loss of land value adds to loss of yield

In landscape protection areas, farmers rightly counted on the fact that they would maintain a good ecological state in a conventional way through good professional practices and new obligations, and that the integrated phytosanitary protection would continue to count. . They are now bitterly disappointed.

In addition to their loss of return and therefore income, the plans weaken confidence in the EU as an institution. The policy strays too far from farm issues. Added to this is the loss of land value. There comes a time when the cup is full. Of violent protestsas in the Netherlands and today in Bonn, will then not fail to occur.

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* Karl Bockholt is cross-media editor at AGRICULTURAL TODAY, responsible for field crops and grasslands. He has worked for more than 30 years in German agricultural publisher (dlv), following working for field & forest (Girardet) et agricultural practice (Konradin). Farmer and graduate engineer, he manages his farm in the Münsterland as a secondary activity. He is a rider, hunter and nature lover.

Source : Plant protection: ban in landscape protection areas counterproductive | agrarheute.com