European Commission wants to slash use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030

The European Commission wants to cut the use of chemical pesticides in half by 2030, as part of its latest plan on sustainability and biodiversity.

The EU institution’s announcement, a piece of its ambitious Farm to Fork strategy, aims to make food systems more healthy and environmentally-friendly.

The Commission said it does not want to outright ban the use of chemical pesticides, however, despite the fact that the proposed 50% target would be legally binding for member states.

The plans also include a mandatory nature restoration target for countries to repair 20% of damaged ecosystems by 2030, the idea being to return nature to all areas, including in forests, farmlands and urban areas.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for the Environment told Euronews in an exclusive interview that the idea of nature restoration is win-win for everyone.

“We should stop living in a myth that acting for nature, restoring nature is just costs and no benefits. And our impact assessment shows that one invested euro brings eight euros of benefit,” Sinkevičius said.

One of the main goals, is to reverse the decline of pollinators, like bees, which experts say actually increases farming yields and helps naturally restore ecosystems.

Read full original article European Commission wants to slash use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 at euronews.com

Photo credit: Martin Ludlam from Pixabay