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Maret Merisaar Estonian Green Movement

Sustainable agriculture and recommendations for the new EU member states (with focus on water protection). Maret Merisaar Estonian Green Movement. EU enlargement and agriculture: Risks and Opportunities. Depopulation of rural areas More pesticides and fertilisers Pollution and erosion

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Maret Merisaar Estonian Green Movement

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  1. Sustainable agriculture and recommendations for the new EU member states (with focus on water protection) Maret Merisaar Estonian Green Movement CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  2. EU enlargement and agriculture: Risks and Opportunities • Depopulation of rural areas • More pesticides and fertilisers • Pollution and erosion • Livestock farms, animal welfare and food safety • Landscape and biodiversity • Extensive farming and seminatural grasslands • Supermarkets and long distance transport of food and animals • Genetically modified crops • Sustainable alternatives: organic and integrated agriculture CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  3. Key message • Agriculture is not an industrial sector, but a multifunctional one. It should produce healthy food, maintain diverse landscapes and clean environment and provide employment. It is cheaper for the new memberstates to develop the existing social and ecological values than to destroy them first by copying the Western intensive model of agricultural production and then pay for recovering. CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  4. Negative impacts of pesticides and fertilisers • Environmental impacts: contamination of soil and water, eutrophication, nitrous oxide (N2O) contributes to depletion of ozone layer. • Health effects: weakened immunity to diseases, disorders of nervous system, disruptive effects on hormone functions, various types of cancer. • Economic costs: drinking water clean up costs, each chemical group of pesticides needs different treatment methods. Rising costs of healthcare. • Consequences to farmers: High costs. Crops are weakening, pests become resistant, side effect of killing useful organisms, breakout of secondary pests. CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  5. for economic reasons. This gives an advantage over many west european countries, which are now stiving to reduce their dependence on agrochemicals. Well conditioned subsidising system could encourage the farmers to invest more into efficient application equipment or to switch directly to organic or integrated production. Photo: Tussengas Spraying agro-chemicals in the Netherlands, the country with one of the highest application levels per hectare in Europe. Dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilisers is one of the most adverse aspects of intensive agriculture, with negative environmental, health and economic aspects. In the 1990-s, consmption of pesticides and fertilizers sharply dropped in CEE CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  6. Nitrogenous fertiliser consumption in EU-15 and CEE countries CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  7. Kasutaja: Kasutaja: Kasutaja: Pesticide consumption in EU-15 and CEE countries CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  8. Denmark: Halving use of agrochemicals I • 1987: First Pesticide Action Plan (banning almost 50% of registered pesticides) • Between 1989-1999: application dropping from 2,0 kg/ha to 1,0 kg/ha • 1996: Pesticide taxes, TFI - Treatment Frequency Index • 2000: Second Pesticide Action Plan. TFI from 2.5 to below 2.0 by 2002. Protection zones along water courses, tripling the area of organic farming • 2004-2009: Third Pesticide Action Plan: Reduce TFI under 1.7. National agricultural advisory service funded by pesticide taxes. Action plans for individual farms, experience sharing groups of ca 8 farmers. CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  9. Denmark: Halving use of agrochemicals II • 1989-2002 strong policy on fertilisers usage of synthetic fertilisers was halved. • Since 1994 fertilisation plans by farms, more efficient utiliation of manure, increased organic farming, re-establishing of wetlands. • 1987 Danish Parliament decided that nitrogen leaching should decrease by 49%. • 1987-2003 nitrogen leaching from agriculture into the sea, lakes and groundrwater was decreased by 48% CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  10. Main EU laws and policies • Pesticide Prohibition Directive, 1979 • Pesticide Authorisation Directive, 1991 • Directives on maximum residue levels (MRL-s) • Thematic strategy on sustainable use of pesticides, 2004 • Water Framework Directive, 2000 • Drinking Water Directive, 1998 • Nitrate Directive, 1991 • Common Agricultural Policy (Cross Compliance, Good Farming Practice, Agri Environmental Programmes) CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  11. Policy recommendations concerning agrochemicals, I • Develop and implement a strong national Pesticide Action Plan • Compulsory nutrient accounting systems and fertilisation plans for farms • Proper conditions to CAP subsidies to avoid an increased use of agrochemicals • Introduce taxes to agrochemicals and use the revenue for advisory services on alternative pest control & fertilisation • Boost orgnic and integrated farming CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  12. Policy recommendations concerning agrochemicals, II • Provide strong support to Agri-Environmental Programmes • Fully implement and enforce the EU WFD, directives on pesticides and Nitrate directive • Identify stocks of obsolete pesticides and ensure safe disposal • Press for a strong EU thematic strategy on sustainable use of pesticides. • Press for a review of EU standards on pesticide consumption. CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

  13. Thank you for the attention CCB 3rd seminar on WFD 2004

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