Zero-Pesticide Scenario for 2050: Innovative Agroecology in Italy

Is it possible for Tuscan agriculture to become completely pesticide-free by 2050? Clearly, this is an enormous challenge for a region that produces an important share of Europe’s cereal supply as well as the wheat that we Europeans use to make our flour and pasta. Italy is the world’s leading pasta producer, churning out a whopping 3.6 million tonnes a year. Three quarters of the pasta consumed in Europe come from the peninsula.
But how does one get a whole industry on board for such a monumental change, from the smallest grower to the biggest retailer? As part of INRAE’s 2050 foresight study, researchers from Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa have developed a scenario in which pesticides would indeed cease to be used in their region by mid-century. Stefano Carlesi and Giovanni Pecchioni, the two authors of the study, agreed to take me to two Tuscan farmers representative of local agriculture. They stand at different ends of the spectrum, but have surprisingly similar views on the use of pesticides.
The Italian researchers worked closely together for their study with INRAE’s Claire Meunier and Olivier Mora, the coordinators of the European mother study.
This video was co-produced by INRAE, France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Italy is the ninth stop on my “Field Trip”, my study tour of agricultural research across Europe.
The European Research Alliance “Towards a Chemical Pesticide-Free Agriculture” was launched by INRAE, together with its German partners from JKI and the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF). Under ERA’s umbrella, 35 research organisations from 20 European countries are currently working closely together with a view to pooling their strengths and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise in their respective fields. One of the alliance’s key objectives is to provide scientific support for an ambitious target set by the European Commission: cutting Europe’s use of pesticides in half by 2030.
ERA’s website and its 35 members:
www.era-pesticidefree.eu/Abou...
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List of speakers in this video (in order of appearance):
- Elía Del Sarto: Arable farmer, San Giuliano Terme
- Stefano Carlesi: Assistant Professor in Agronomy and Field Crops, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa (specialising in agroecology and functional agrobiodiversity)
- Giovanni Pecchioni: Researcher, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, and coordinator of IPMworks network Tuscany
- Fabiano Busdraghi: Organic mixed crop and livestock farmer, Poggio Diavolino Farm
- Luca Balleri: Organic farmer and miller, Il Felciaione Farm
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The impact of my travels:
I’m always aiming to limit my carbon footprint. For this video, the impact created by my train travels (source: Ademe/monimpacttransport.fr) was 1.8 kg CO2e for an itinerary of 788 km, which is 92.2 kg CO2e less than if I’d chosen to travel by car and 66.2 kg CO2e less than if I’d gone by plane.
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A series by Pierre Girard, co-produced with INRAE
Writing:
Pierre Girard
Camera and editing:
Patryk Puchalski
Graphic design:
Otto Stobbe
Translation and subtitles:
Geoffrey Schöning
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