Crop production is the vital basis for our food system, but the current set up is highly dependent on inputs of chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers. Crop protection researchers, experts and other interested parties from all over Europe will gather in Uppsala to discuss strategies for crop protection with few or no chemical pesticides to make cropping more robust, resource-efficient and environmentally friendly.
European and global food production face major challenges which call for impact assessments and coordination of knowledge, innovation and transformation. Crop production is the vital basis for our food system, but our current cropping system is highly dependent on inputs of chemical pesticides and mineral fertilisers. The inputs have a negative impact on human health and the environment and the systems are vulnerable to long and broken supply chains, climate change and pest outbreaks. Cropping needs to become more robust, resource-efficient and environmentally friendly.
To make cropping sustainable, it is paramount to maintain plant health and minimize crop losses due to pests, diseases and weeds – problems that are expected to increase with climate change in present cropping systems. Fewer and fewer chemical pesticides are available to the farmers as they are phased out and few new reaches the market. No new modes of action of pesticides have been discovered (none since 1994), and pests and weeds are ever more resistant to available pesticides.
Ambitious plans are put in place for decreased pesticide use and risks, such as the EU Farm to Fork strategy. These shifts pose challenges, but also open opportunities for productive, competitive and sustainable food production.
On 24 May 2023 the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) hosts an afternoon event with discussions on the future of crop protection in agriculture. The focus will be on recent achievements, future solutions and ways forward. The discussions will feed into current developments related to crop protection and pesticide use within the European Union. The event will be proceeded by a side event before lunch with speed talks and networkning. The day after, on 25 May, there is an opportunity to participate in an excursion to SLU’s research field site Lövsta and to Linnaeus’ Hammarby, the summer house of Carl von Linnaeus built in 1762.
More information and registration link here.
Programme
Wednesday 24 May 2023, 9:00 – 12:00 (Side event)
- Speed talks on crop protection research (TBD)
Wednesday 24 May 2023, 12:00 – 17:30
12:00 Registration, lunch and mingle
13:00 Introduction
- Prof. Riccardo Bommarco, Professor in Agricultural Entomology, SLU, host for the event
- Dr. Maria Knutson-Wedel, Vice-Chancellor of SLU
- Ms. Helene Holstein, Departementsråd at the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise
13:30 Scientific achievements and knowledge needs
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Weed management breakthroughs, Prof. Göran Bergkvist, Professor of weed ecology and weed management, SLU
- Crop diversification breakthroughs, Dr. Sari Himanen, Senior Scientist at Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
- Plant pathology breakthroughs, Prof. Laura Grenville-Briggs Didymus, Professor of Integrated Plant Protection, SLU
- Technological breakthroughs in weed management, Dr. Christian Andreasen, Associate Professor in Weed Science, Copenhagen University
- Knowledge needs scoping, Prof. Ionel-Mugurel Jitea, Professor, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca
- Q&A with moderator Prof. Christine Watson, Professor of Agricultural Systems, Scotland’s Rural College
14:45 Foresight report
- Presentation, Mr. Olivier Mora, Foresight Coordinator at INRAE
- Q&A with moderator Prof. Christine Watson, Professor of Agricultural Systems, Scotland’s Rural College
15:15 Fika
15:45 Knowledge and dialogue on science, farming and food
- Panel discussion with moderator Dr. Alain Gaume, Agroscope Switzerland
- Dr. Tobin Robinson, Head of Emerging risks, EFSA
- Ms. Helena Allard, Sustainability expert, Axfood Sweden
- Mr. Anders Lindgren, Research and innovation project manager, Lantmännen Sweden
- Dr. Kristina Volkova Hellström, SSNC/PAN Europe
- Dr. Frank Ewert, Scientific director ZALF, Professor at the University of Bonn, Germany
16.40 Final reflections
- Dr. Christian Huyghe, Scientific Director of Agriculture, INRAE France
17:15 Summary and conclusions
- Dr. Riccardo Bommarco, Professor in Agricultural Entomology, SLU, host for the event