Program

In 2020, 24 research bodies from 16 European countries signed the official creation of a European Alliance Towards a Chemical Pesticide-Free Agriculture in Paris, originating from an initial Franco-German partnership. INRAe and its partners hosted a successful European scientific conference entitled "Towards Pesticide-Free Agriculture" in June 2022 (https://tpfagri2022.colloque.inrae.fr). The aim was to identify the research required to meet the pesticide reduction objectives of the European Green Deal.

The conference highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in research. Achieving the ambition of pesticide-free European agriculture requires a move away from one solution for one pest and exploring new horizons on integrated solutions at the farm, landscape, and food chain levels. Significant changes in research priorities and methods in agronomy, genetics and breeding, biocontrol, machinery, and digital, social, and economic sciences are required.  

The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, published in early September 2024, brought together various agri-food stakeholders who created a shared vision for food and farming in Europe against polarised views and division. The report outlines several unanimously agreed recommendations that the new EU Commission is considering. One of the Dialogue's key recommendations is enhancing sustainable farming practices by promoting agrobiodiversity, reducing external inputs such as pesticides, and developing biocontrols.

Against this background, this half-day Euragri virtual conference, hosted by INRAE, is an opportunity to reflect on 2022 outcomes and highlight some projects on pesticide-free agriculture supported by the European Research Alliance.

10:00:  Cecile Detang-Dessendre (INRAe) - Welcome and Introduction.

10:10: Uno Svedin (President of Euragri) - Welcome Address

10:20: Christian Huyghe (INRAe) – introduction and challenges for the EU Agriculture (from diversification to biocontrol)

10:50: Ixchel Hernandez Ochoa (University of Bonn) - Co-designing a landscape experiment to investigate diversified cropping systems

11:20: Riccardo Bommarco (SLU, Uppsala) – Crop rotational diversity and cultural efficiency.

11:50: Panel discussion moderated by INRAE.

12:20: Close