A CONSULT led to European Parliament a farmer from your horticulture hub of the project Horizon 2020 IPMWORKS, a May 23. The project Horizon 2020, of that the CONSULT It is a partner; he was invited to a public audition in Brussels about the Regulations European Relative aSustainable Use dand Phytopharmaceutical Products, where he presented his demonstration work to the European parliamentarians.
Bruno Neves, a horticultural hub farmer accompanied by CONSULT, He gave testimony about the path he has taken to reduce the use of phytopharmaceutical products in his horticultural farm. Eduardo Crisol, Hub coach and facilitator of the project presented biological control and auxiliary biodiversity solutions in greenhouses in Andalusia.
A network with 22 hubs and 250 exploration sites
The hearing allowed the IPMWORKS showcase its history of sustainable practices in pest and disease management across Europe, with more than 22 demonstration hubs and 250 agricultural farms actively participating in the project’s programs.
In addition to the testimonies of farmers, the session highlighted the role of agricultural advisory services. Methods based on the exchange of peer knowledge were highlighted as fundamental for the reconfiguration of production systems and for solutions adapted to each situation.
The presented results
Estimates of the use of plant protection products on the partner farms of the project were presented. IPMWORKS and self-evaluation data from farmers on the quality of pest control, workload and profitability of farms. The quantitative results of the French network DEPHY, affiliated to the IPMWORKS And with more than twelve years of data collection on integrated protection, they have shown that strategies aimed at reducing dependence on plant protection products do not have to compromise productivity at the farm level.
The presentations gave rise to a exchange of questions and comments with the MPs. The recording of the hearing is available in English.
About IPMWORKS
O IPMWORKS It builds a European network of agricultural farms to demonstrate integrated protection strategies and promote their adoption through knowledge sharing. It coordinates existing networks and has launched new hubs in regions and sectors where pioneers of integrated protection were not yet connected to a network. The farmers work in small groups coordinated by agricultural advisory technicians, the hub coaches, who facilitate knowledge sharing, guide the farmers in finding their own solutions, and organize field demonstration activities.
A CONSULT participates in IPMWORKS with two farmers’ hubs that accompany them in the transition to a holistic practice of integrated protection, one in the horticultural sector, in the West and Ribatejo region, and another in the viticultural sector, in the Alentejo. He also coordinates the communication and dissemination work package of the project.
O IPMWORKS received funding from the research and innovation program Horizon 2020 Yes European Union under the grant agreement no. 101000339. For more information, contact the project coordinator, Nicolas Munier-Jolain nicolas.munier-jolain@inrae.fr() or the national contact, Francisca Viveiros (fviveiros@consulai.com).