Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IPMWORKS (An EU-wide farm network demonstrating and promoting cost-effective IPM strategies)
Período documentado: 2022-04-01 hasta 2023-09-30
The Farm-to-Fork strategy, a significant component of the European Green Deal, has set the ambitious target of halving pesticide use and impact in agriculture by 2030. Reducing pesticide use is possible, but difficult, since most farmers consider to make only justified treatments, based on rational decision making, only in cases with pest pressure likely to cause unacceptable yield losses. However, some pioneer farmers are actually using significantly less pesticide than others by implementing a holistic vision of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), based on combinations of non-chemical approaches, including a stronger use of ecology-based processes, more diversity and more biodiversity, combined with innovative technologies (robotics, precision agriculture, Decision Support Systems, biocontrol). The core of IPMWORKS is to coordinate such pioneer farms in an EU-wide network and to organise demonstration events based on actual daily practices in those farms, so as to convince the whole farming community that reducing the reliance on pesticides is possible.
A number of farmers motivated by sustainable farming are still not fully implementing holistic IPM, a consequence of decades of agriculture simplification and intensification with the help of chemical inputs. IPMWORKS aims at helping motivated farmers who joined the network to progress towards holistic IPM and to decrease their pesticide use, hence offering a wider range of “success stories in IPM adoption” to support IPMWORKS demo activities. Building on previous experiences, IPMWORKS suggested a specific methodology for this purpose, based on hubs of farms from the same region, sharing the same crops, the same pest problems and the same motivation to overcome these problems. Hubs are facilitated by ‘hub coaches’, helping farmers to find their own site-specific solutions and fostering peer-to-peer knowledge sharing about the functioning of agroecosystems. Hub coaches and farmers form a European community, along with the 5 national pre-existing networks on IPM demonstration affiliated to the IPMWORKS network: DEPHY (FR), LEAF (UK), DIPS (DE), GROEN-AoZ (NL) and PESTIRED (CH). This community shares the same objectives and the same methodology, aiming to progress further in the adoption of holistic IPM and to convince the whole farming community.
IPMWORKS supporting activities include (i) human science research providing recommendations and tools for refining the working methods, (ii) the development of an IPM Resource Toolbox facilitating access to available digital resources helping in the adoption of IPM, (iii) a data collection strategy defined to support the demonstration that holistic IPM is efficient and cost-effective, (iv) the development of training material for farm advisers, and (vi) a communication and dissemination strategy. Finally, IPMWORKS is preparing the future sustainability and geographical extension of the network with specific activities targeting policy makers at EU, national and regional levels.
A number of farmers motivated by sustainable farming are still not fully implementing holistic IPM, a consequence of decades of agriculture simplification and intensification with the help of chemical inputs. IPMWORKS aims at helping motivated farmers who joined the network to progress towards holistic IPM and to decrease their pesticide use, hence offering a wider range of “success stories in IPM adoption” to support IPMWORKS demo activities. Building on previous experiences, IPMWORKS suggested a specific methodology for this purpose, based on hubs of farms from the same region, sharing the same crops, the same pest problems and the same motivation to overcome these problems. Hubs are facilitated by ‘hub coaches’, helping farmers to find their own site-specific solutions and fostering peer-to-peer knowledge sharing about the functioning of agroecosystems. Hub coaches and farmers form a European community, along with the 5 national pre-existing networks on IPM demonstration affiliated to the IPMWORKS network: DEPHY (FR), LEAF (UK), DIPS (DE), GROEN-AoZ (NL) and PESTIRED (CH). This community shares the same objectives and the same methodology, aiming to progress further in the adoption of holistic IPM and to convince the whole farming community.
IPMWORKS supporting activities include (i) human science research providing recommendations and tools for refining the working methods, (ii) the development of an IPM Resource Toolbox facilitating access to available digital resources helping in the adoption of IPM, (iii) a data collection strategy defined to support the demonstration that holistic IPM is efficient and cost-effective, (iv) the development of training material for farm advisers, and (vi) a communication and dissemination strategy. Finally, IPMWORKS is preparing the future sustainability and geographical extension of the network with specific activities targeting policy makers at EU, national and regional levels.
During the first year of the project, the network was set up, with the recruitment of Hub Coaches and farmers – which was somewhat impaired by the COVID situation –, the refining of the methods and supporting tools, and the capacity building of Hub Coaches, both on the technical aspects of IPM in different agricultural sectors, and on ‘soft skills’ for promoting changes in pest management strategies within groups of farmers. The tools that were developed to support the network activities and the wide adoption of IPM were:
• Tools for the administration of the network;
• The Hub Journal, a multi-tab Excel file used for the scheduling and reporting of hub activities (meetings, discussions, and demo events), and for supporting the self-evaluation;
• Solutions for internal communication, including a project SharePoint, an internal newsletter, and a WhatsApp group allowing Hub Coaches to share experiences and tips;
• Solutions for external communication, including a website, an external newsletter, social medias, a YouTube channel, and a Conference on Farm Demo (Brussels, May 2022);
• A first survey (Survey#1) of IPMWORKS farmers, about their motivations for IPM, the level of IPM adoption and of pesticide use, and a qualitative self-assessment of pest control and cost-efficiency;
• A platform dedicated to a second survey (Survey#2, currently in progress) aiming at collecting details of crop and pest management, to compute quantitative indicators of pesticide use, pesticide impact and cost-efficiency;
• An IPM Resource Toolbox providing an easy access to any IPM-related numerical resource available in Europe.
• A full e-learning training module on holistic IPM, based on the project expertise and results, addressing all aspects of IPM (political aspects, technical aspects, soft skills for the promotion of holistic IPM).
Hubs are now routinely functioning, with regular meetings for knowledge sharing among farmers, and many on-farm demo events demonstrating IPM solutions and promoting a holistic approach to IPM, based on “success stories” in IPMWORKS farms. Hubs have already produced a large number of dissemination resources: videos and booklets presenting groups of farmers and successful individual IPM strategies.
• Tools for the administration of the network;
• The Hub Journal, a multi-tab Excel file used for the scheduling and reporting of hub activities (meetings, discussions, and demo events), and for supporting the self-evaluation;
• Solutions for internal communication, including a project SharePoint, an internal newsletter, and a WhatsApp group allowing Hub Coaches to share experiences and tips;
• Solutions for external communication, including a website, an external newsletter, social medias, a YouTube channel, and a Conference on Farm Demo (Brussels, May 2022);
• A first survey (Survey#1) of IPMWORKS farmers, about their motivations for IPM, the level of IPM adoption and of pesticide use, and a qualitative self-assessment of pest control and cost-efficiency;
• A platform dedicated to a second survey (Survey#2, currently in progress) aiming at collecting details of crop and pest management, to compute quantitative indicators of pesticide use, pesticide impact and cost-efficiency;
• An IPM Resource Toolbox providing an easy access to any IPM-related numerical resource available in Europe.
• A full e-learning training module on holistic IPM, based on the project expertise and results, addressing all aspects of IPM (political aspects, technical aspects, soft skills for the promotion of holistic IPM).
Hubs are now routinely functioning, with regular meetings for knowledge sharing among farmers, and many on-farm demo events demonstrating IPM solutions and promoting a holistic approach to IPM, based on “success stories” in IPMWORKS farms. Hubs have already produced a large number of dissemination resources: videos and booklets presenting groups of farmers and successful individual IPM strategies.
The first survey in IPMWORKS farms provides first evidences that a holistic approach to IPM indeed allows to reduce the reliance on pesticides, improve the quality of the control of weeds, diseases and pests, without any clear impact on workload, equipment costs, and farm profitability. These first results will have to be confirmed by more quantitative data from Survey#2 (reduction of pesticide use and impact, productivity, profitability, workload).
During the course of the project, the debate on sustainable use of pesticide have been very intensive within the European Institutions. IPMWORKS has actively contributed to these debates, by organising events targeting policy makers (Conference, policy days, exhibition and hearing at the European Parliament) and by producing a ‘Policy’ recommendation document.
One current main challenge for IPMWORKS is to prepare the future of the network after the end of the H2020 project. The ambition is to make the network significantly grow (number of demo hubs, and geographical coverage), by launching new hubs in all EU member states, for all relevant agricultural sectors in each region. A strategy for long term sustainability has been elaborated, based on a separate funding of each individual hub (local public or private funding, eventually CAP funding dedicated to Farm Demo for sustainable agriculture), and a specific European funding of the network management (coordination, capacity building of hub coach, internal and external communication, data collection and processing).
During the course of the project, the debate on sustainable use of pesticide have been very intensive within the European Institutions. IPMWORKS has actively contributed to these debates, by organising events targeting policy makers (Conference, policy days, exhibition and hearing at the European Parliament) and by producing a ‘Policy’ recommendation document.
One current main challenge for IPMWORKS is to prepare the future of the network after the end of the H2020 project. The ambition is to make the network significantly grow (number of demo hubs, and geographical coverage), by launching new hubs in all EU member states, for all relevant agricultural sectors in each region. A strategy for long term sustainability has been elaborated, based on a separate funding of each individual hub (local public or private funding, eventually CAP funding dedicated to Farm Demo for sustainable agriculture), and a specific European funding of the network management (coordination, capacity building of hub coach, internal and external communication, data collection and processing).