Reducing reliance on chemical pesticides not only protects human health and the environment, but also contributes to more productive and resilient agricultural systems. While it is true that the use of pesticides allows farmers to protect crops from pests that can significantly reduce yields, protect stored products from insects, fungi and rodents, or help reduce the spread of plant diseases that can devastate entire crops, the negative consequences of their use are considerable.
The use of pesticides in agriculture is a common practice aimed at protecting crops from pests, diseases and weeds, with the objective of increasing productivity and reducing losses. In agriculture, the most used pesticides are:
- Insecticides: control insects that damage crops, such as aphids, caterpillars and beetles.
- Herbicides: eliminate weeds that compete with crops for nutrients, water and light.
- Fungicides: prevent and control fungal diseases such as mildew and rust.
- Nematicides: control nematodes that attack plant roots.
- Rodenticides: protect crops from rodents that can cause significant damage.
Pesticides are chemical or biological substances designed to prevent, control or eliminate pests that affect crops, animals, and other human environments. While their use can increase agricultural productivity and protect public health by controlling disease vectors, they also have negative effects on the environment and human health:
- Impact on biodiversity: pesticides affect non-target organisms, including pollinators such as bees, beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife.
- Residues in food: pesticide residues in food can pose risks to human health.
- Development of resistance: the continued and often indiscriminate use of pesticides can lead to resistance in pests, creating ‘super pests’ that require even stronger products.
- Environmental contamination: pesticides can pollute soil, water and air, affecting local flora and fauna and disrupting natural ecosystem cycles.
Sustainable practices, education and the adoption of less harmful alternatives are the best solution to minimise risks. The transition to greener pest management is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of agricultural production and the protection of the environment and human health. A technique that is being implemented by LIFE Next Fumigreen, a European project that aims to develop natural fumigants from plant extracts to control primary pest populations in horticultural greenhouse crops.
The microdispersion (dry smoke) technology incorporated in the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project with a ready-to-use product avoids handling of concentrated pesticides and operator contact and minimises the risk of pesticides remaining in soil and groundwater, thus minimising all these adverse effects.
The project, led by FumiHogar, in collaboration with Centro Tecnológico Tecnova, B&B Asesores, Comercial Química Massó, BrioAgro Tech and Fundación Finnova, and 60% funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme, will last four and a half years and will test the effectiveness of a new fumigant biopesticide that is less toxic than conventional ones. With a total budget of 2,758,921.01 euros, this project aims to improve food security and biodiversity and contribute to the professionalisation of farmers in the use of biopesticides.