Agrofarma: the use of chemicals in the fields has decreased by 14% in 10 years
Ammonia emissions in Italy are already below the EU 2030 targets. Greenhouse gas emissions are also falling.
3' min read
3' min read
A profound change is taking place in Italian agriculture along with an ever decreasing and more efficient use of agrochemicals. Agricultural environmental performance is making significant progress, but is losing some positions on the production front with some important and tangible phenomena of production substitution. This is the cross-section that emerges from the data of the Agrofarma Observatory managed this year by the agricultural consulting and analysis company, Areté.
"The improvement in agricultural environmental performance continues," commented the president of Agrofarma-Federchimica, Paolo Tassani, "emissions are falling but so is added value, and this is because we need to give time to the innovations adopted in recent years in the field of crop protection.
According to data from Areté, illustrated by CEO Enrica Gentile, ammonia emissions are steadily decreasing, which in Italy are already below EU targets for 2030. Greenhouse gas emissions are also decreasing..
On the volume use of crop protection products, these have dropped by 14% over the last 10 years (the comparison is between 2020-22 and 2011-13). Much of this is due to optimisation in use. The volume of active ingredients used also fell sharply (-20%). At the same time, the strong growth of active ingredients of biological origin is confirmed. A symptom that a substitution process is under way.
Innovation brings less risk
.In Italy, however, there is the largest reduction in the use of agrochemicals in the EU-27 accompanied by a significant increase (+6.4%) in low-risk active ingredients.
