Agricultural production and food security in Europe and globally are increasingly affected by invasive and resistant pests and pathogens. Conventional crop protection, largely based on chemical pesticides, faces growing challenges due to regulatory constraints, environmental concerns, and the rapid evolution of resistance. At the same time, EU policy priorities such as the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy aim to reduce pesticide use while maintaining productivity, farmer livelihoods, and food safety. There is therefore a clear need for innovative, sustainable, and integrated pest management (IPM) approaches that also address both ecological and socio-economic dimensions of plant health.
The NextGenBioPest project responds to this challenge by developing a new generation of tools and strategies for pest and pathogen control. The project aims to (i) design, validate, and demonstrate RNA-based biopesticides, molecular diagnostics, and biocontrol agents; (ii) integrate these innovations into predictive modelling frameworks and IPM programmes; and (iii) ensure uptake and impact through close stakeholder engagement, regulatory alignment, and socio-economic assessment. Social sciences and humanities are embedded in the project to analyse barriers to adoption, co-create solutions with farmers and industry, and evaluate consumer acceptance and market potential.
The pathway to impact follows a multidisciplinary and multi-actor approach: laboratory development→field validation→integration into IPM systems→demonstration in diverse European agro-ecosystems→socio-economic and regulatory analysis→dissemination to stakeholders and policymakers. The expected impacts include reducing reliance on conventional pesticides, improving the resilience of farming systems to pest outbreaks, supporting EU policy targets, and strengthening Europe’s global leadership in sustainable plant protection. By addressing urgent agricultural and societal needs, the project will contribute to healthier crops, safer food, and a greener environment at scale.
