Strengthening IPM policies: recommendations for the European Commission, Member States, supply chain, advisors and trainers, and farmers (D6.1)

This report provides extensive recommendations for implementing IPM in a manner that bridges the gap between the realities of farm-level decision-making and European-level policies. It explores the political levers to make the agronomical changes feasible, through policy recommendations to all the agricultural ecosystem. This report provides targeted policy recommendations aimed at strengthening the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) under the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD). Despite the regulatory obligation to reduce pesticide use and risk, progress in reducing the use of pesticides and the related risks has been limited, and IPM enforcement remains too weak. 

The project introduces Active Prophylaxis as the core strategy for achieving SUD objectives. Active prophylaxis prioritizes preventive measures and anticipatory interventions across various scales, reinforcing system resilience, reducing pest pressure, and consequently lowering the need for curative intervention. A critical barrier to widespread IPM adoption is that the agricultural value chain is currently locked-in. Achieving the objectives of the Sustainable Use Directive and securing sustainable crop protection is possible. It relies on recognizing that the transition cannot be achieved solely by the farmer. By focusing political effort on regulating innovation, improving training and advice, and distributing responsibility and engagement fairly across the agricultural supply chain, the burden on farmers will decrease, ensuring that IPM, based on the paradigm of Active Prophylaxis, becomes the operational pathway for lasting change.