Wageningen, The Netherlands
October 27, 2008
Source: The Plant Sciences
Group of Wageningen UR, a collaboration of:
- Plant Research
International B.V.
- Applied Plant Research (Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving
B.V.)
- Wageningen University
Research by Wageningen UR has revealed that possible new EU crop
protection regulation will have serious economic consequences
for the Netherlands. Yields could decrease by as much as 50 to
100 percent due to the major reduction in pesticides allowed for
crops such as roses, chrysanthemums, cucumbers, Brussels
sprouts, spring-sown onions, tulips and ornamental shrubs. This
could make Dutch cultivation unviable and even mean that
cultivation stops altogether in the Netherlands.
Wageningen UR studied two scenarios that are currently on the
table.
Firstly the European Parliament's position after the first
reading of the common position of the European Commission and
Council of Ministers (the 'EP-cut-off' scenario) and secondly
the common position of Commission and Council of Ministers (the
'EC-CMR/ED' scenario).
The studies show that the EP-cut-off scenario will result in
yields being reduced by 50 to 100 percent due to the banning of
a large number of pesticides for roses, chrysanthemums,
cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, spring-sown onions, tulips and
ornamental shrubs. This makes cultivation in the Netherlands
unviable and will have enormous consequences for the production
of and international trade in these crops. Cultivation may even
disappear from the Netherlands altogether, which would have a
major economic and social impact.
Despite the fact that the number of pesticides that would be
banned in the EC-CMR/ED scenario is much lower, this scenario
would also have a considerable impact on most of the
abovementioned crops.
In the proposal of the Council of Ministers and the European
Committee for a new Crop Protection Regulation, the criteria for
the approval of pesticides are no longer based on risk alone.
Other criteria involved include the intrinsic carcinogenic,
mutagenic, reprotoxic (CMR) and hormone disruptive (ED:
Endocrine disruption) characteristics of substances. The
European Parliament decided in autumn 2007 that more active
substances should be banned from the EU.
Research
Commissioned by the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and
Horticulture (LTO Nederland) and financed by the Product Boards
for Horticulture and Arable Farming, Wageningen UR carried out
research into the economic impact of two scenarios for the
following crops: Table potatoes, seed potatoes, spring-sown
onions, winter wheat, sugar beets, Brussels sprouts,
chrysanthemums, roses, tomatoes, cucumbers, tulips, ornamental
shrubs and apples. The research into sugar beet was performed in
cooperation with the IRS, the Dutch research centre for sugar
beet cultivation.
EP-cut-off scenario
The research shows that the banning of a large number of
pesticides used with roses, chrysanthemums, cucumbers, Brussels
sprouts, spring-sown onions, tulips and ornamental shrubs could
result in yield reductions of 50 to 100 percent. This will
render cultivation in the Netherlands unprofitable and have
extreme consequences for the production of and international
trade in these crops.
Yield losses for seed potatoes, table potatoes, winter wheat,
tomatoes and apples are estimated at 15 to 32 percent. The
profit made from cultivating these crops will be significantly
reduced, which will put pressure on viability and make it
difficult if not impossible to pay fixed costs. In addition,
with so many pesticides being banned in this scenario, other
problems are likely to emerge as diseases, pests and/or weeds
become resistant to the remaining pesticides and harder to
control.
Other long-term effects are hampering weed management, a growing
nematode population and an increase in diseases and pests that
were also affected (side effects) by the former pesticides. The
long-term effects of this study were not formulated into exact
figures but are also likely to have a significant impact.
EC-CMR/ED Scenario
Although the number of pesticides banned in this scenario is
much smaller than in the EP scenario, it will still have a
considerable impact on most crops.
Ornamental shrubs, spring-sown onions, roses and chrysanthemums
will be affected by the lack of pesticides to such a degree that
cultivation will result in losses or become economically
unviable. Fixed costs will become hard or impossible to pay.
There will also be yield losses in the cultivation of seed
potatoes, table potatoes, sugar beet, Brussels sprouts,
cucumbers, tomatoes and apples and these crops will become less
economically viable. Only the cultivation of winter wheat will
be relatively unaffected despite the fact that several
pesticides will be banned for this crop as well.
This scenario may also lead to long-term effects including
increased resistance and a growing nematode population.
The report is available, in Dutch only, at
www.ppo.wur.nl/NL/nieuwsagenda/nieuws/scenarios161008.htm |
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