STOA workshop: Digital Spraying Technologies & the reduction of pesticide use in agriculture
CEMA key partner in INNOSETA EU project: assessing the use & promoting the adoption of most advanced spraying equipment tools
Last 6th of March, the STOA workshop on “Farming without agro-chemicals: Can we grow without using herbicides, fungicides and insecticides?” was held at the European Parliament. STOA is the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology tasked with identifying and assessing the impact of new and emerging science and technologies. Launched in 1987, the Panel forms an integral part of the structure of the European Parliament and consists of 25 MEPs nominated from the nine permanent parliamentary committees.
The workshop addressed the use of agro-chemicals in agriculture. A team of scientists from the Department of Biosystems of the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) presented the outcomes of their study focused on the use of Plant Protection Products in farming, on its possible reduction, and on the potential effects on agricultural yields. As MEP Anthea McIntyre highlighted in the Q&A session, this KU Leuven study was the background document used for animating the workshop’s discussion. Exchanges among speakers were very enriching, as they presented different points of view, such as those of crop protection in conventional agriculture (presented by the European Crop Protection Association - ECPA), of organic farming (represented by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements – IFOAM EU), as well as some insights on consumers perceptions presented by a consumer behaviour scientist from the University of Wageningen. All the presentations from the workshop are downloadable at the workshop webpage (link).
During the discussion, one point agreed by mostly all the workshop’s participants was the crucial role of digital farming technologies for contributing to more targeted application and reduction of pesticide use. In particular, precision spraying technologies were mentioned during the debate as one of the most valuable possible solutions to reduce the use of agro-chemicals and, more in general, the environmental impact of agriculture.
CEMA & INNOSETA EU Project - assessing the use & promoting the adoption of most advanced spraying equipment tools
CEMA particularly welcomed the point above, considering this as an important endorsement to the H2020 project INNOSETA.
INNOSETA www.innoseta.eu is a European funded project aimed at assessing the use & promoting the adoption of most advanced spraying equipment tools and services in EU Agriculture involving farmers, the agricultural machinery industry, academia, research centres, agricultural engineering and public bodies.
CEMA is actively involved in the INNOSETA project and aims at increasing the visibility and engagement of the agricultural equipment manufacturers in this initiative. To this extent, we are currently looking at all existing industrial products (technologies) directly implemented on sprayers as an input for the discussions that will be carried out during the project’s workshops. If you want your products to be included in the first list that is under preparation, please read the attached Call for Participation_INNOSETA EU Project and provide the CEMA Secretariat with the required information.
