Pesticide Policies and Farm Behavior: The Introduction of Regulations for Integrated Pest Management

Valborg Kvakkestad,Åsmund Lægreid Steiro,Arild Vatn

doi:10.3390/agriculture11090828

Valborg Kvakkestad, Åsmund Lægreid Steiro + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11090828

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Abstract

Integrated pest management (IPM) was introduced in the 1960s as a response to increasing pesticide use and has since evolved from being understood mainly as an economic issue to also including environmental and human health considerations. The EU has made IPM mandatory for all farmers through the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD). Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper examines how Norwegian cereal farmers have responded to this requirement. The qualitative results show that most farmers have an understanding of IPM that goes beyond economic considerations only. The quantitative results display that farmers’ intrinsic motivation for IPM changed after introduction of the SUD. There is increased emphasis on using methods other than spraying, producing grain without traces of pesticides, and preventing pesticide resistance. Farmers’ self-reported knowledge of IPM increased, and 41% of farmers stated that they use IPM to a greater extent than before the SUD was introduced. These results demonstrate that mandatory IPM requirements have been a successful strategy for increasing farmers use of IPM in Norway. Clearer IPM provisions and increased intrinsic motivation for IPM among farmers will, however, be important to reduce the risks from pesticides further.

Highlights

Pesticide policies are an important part of agricultural policy as it influences the profitability of farming, the environment and human health [1,2,3,4]
Our qualitative results regarding research question one show that for most of the farmers, their understanding of integrated pest management (IPM) corresponds well with the eight IPM principles. This means that their understanding goes beyond economic thresholds and need-based spraying which were the core elements of IPM when it was introduced in the 1960s
In this paper we analyzed the implications of introducing the EU Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD), which made IPM mandatory for all professional users of pesticides, for grain farming in Norway

Summary

Introduction

Pesticide policies are an important part of agricultural policy as it influences the profitability of farming, the environment and human health [1,2,3,4]. When a FAO expert panel defined integrated control in 1967, economic considerations played a crucial role. This group defined integrated control as “a pest-management system that [ . The current definition of IPM by FAO, includes increased emphasis on environmental considerations. They define IPM as “the careful consideration of all available pest control techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of pest populations and keep pesticides and other interventions to levels that are economically justified and reduce or minimize risks to human health and the environment” [14] They define IPM as “the careful consideration of all available pest control techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of pest populations and keep pesticides and other interventions to levels that are economically justified and reduce or minimize risks to human health and the environment” [14] (p. 6)

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