LIFE NEXTFUMIGREEN DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL FUMIGANTS

The use of natural fumigants could reduce the impact, compared to the use of chemical pesticides, on the carbon footprint by 80% and groundwater pollution by 70%.

European project LIFE NextFUMIGREEN partners visit the facilities of the Technological Center Tecnova

By: Pablo Barrios Martínez

The main objective of LIFE NextFUMIGREEN is to develop an environmental and substitutive technology for pest control agriculture under greenhouse, bringing several benefits for land-use, water, and life-being health. The technology aims to be more efficient and could be used in addition to other treatments or alternatively with such as bio-stimulants, biological control, preventive measures, etc.

The project has a total of 2,758,921,00 EUR (60% subsidized by the LIFE Programme) and a duration of 54 months (2023-2027)

Its aim is also to advance in the evaluation of the efficacy of these phytosanitary products on other pathosystems and their applicability in other markets, which will allow the scalability of the product.

It also provides for the training of farmers in the use of fumigants and in combined pest management, facilitating the integration of different control methods and maximising results with minimal impact on crops, applicators, and the environment.

The use of natural fumigants could reduce the impact, compared to the use of chemical pesticides, on the carbon footprint by 80% and groundwater pollution by 70%.

"The global relevance of organic production methods"

The United Nations Population Division estimates that by 2050 there will be 9,7 billion of people on Earth – around 30% more than in 2017. It is estimated that 80% of the increase in food production is needed to keep pace with population growth, mostly, in developing countries.

The growth in production rates can stem from increased yields and/or the frequency of crop cultivation on the same land within a year. It is anticipated that only 20% of the additional food production will arise from an expansion of agricultural land.

Pesticides will continue to play a major role in the world's food production because they can prevent crop losses. However, they are among the leading causes of death by self-poisoning, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Nobody should be exposed to pesticides. Farmers are mostly exposed to them. The general population is consequently exposed to significantly lower levels of pesticides through food and water.

"Farmers, always focused on the health and yield of their crops, are always looking for solutions that allow them to protect their plants from pests and diseases that threaten their production. In this context, the fumigant crop protection product, which is based on active ingredients of natural origin, has become another tool in the protection of the most representative greenhouse crops. This innovation is a step forward in the search for effective methods to ensure food production".

Mazaly Aguilar- MEP and Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee

In consequence, good agricultural practices are needed to avoid intrinsically toxic and deliberately spread in the environment. Organic farming can be an alternative to pesticides that continue to use chemicals that are considered persistent organic pollutants. They usually place a maximum emphasis on the protection of the environment and wildlife.

LIFE NextFUMIGREEN promotes natural fumigants

The European project LIFE NextFUMIGREEN actively promotes food safety by developing natural fumigants derived from plant extracts to control pests in intensive horticultural crops under greenhouses. This project is led by Fumihogar in collaboration with Tecnova Technology Centre, Finnova Foundation, B&B Asesores, Commercial Quimica Masso, and BrioAgro Tech, the project has a total of 2,758,921,00 EUR (60% subsidized by the LIFE Programme) and a duration of 54 months (2023-2027).

LIFE NextFUMIGREEN´s roadmap to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The main goal of this project is to massively develop and promote the use of natural fumigants, based on active substances extracted from plant extracts. These allow the control of whitefly populations on horticultural crops grown intensively under glass. Using natural fumigants developed through previous R&D projects within the FUMIGREEN Program, will enable vegetable and fruit production without damage caused by botrytis fungus.

In general, this project will contribute to more sustainable agriculture and "zero waste products." It will create a more environmental and substitutive technology for pest control agriculture under greenhouse, bringing several benefits for land use, water, and life-being health. The technology aims to be more efficient and could be used in addition to other treatments such as bio-stimulants, biological controls, preventive measures, etc. It will have a positive impact on the following United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs): Goal 2: Zero Hunger; Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being; Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production; Goal 14: Life Below Water, and Goal 15: Life on Land.

LIFE NextFUMIGREEN is related to the "From Farm to Fork" strategy because it launches two new biocides that, being made up of natural and non-chemical compounds, do not harm the soil, water, or the food they reach, so that, in turn, it would be contributing to the achievement of the objectives set out in the strategy. Some pesticides and chemical fertilizers end up damaging the food they spray, as well as the soil or the air they pollute, and even end up being totally harmful not only for the insects that they intend to eliminate from plants or agricultural products, but also for animals. that are part of the ecosystem close to the areas where these pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used. In this case, LIFE FUMIGREEN would avoid all these problems as the products it launches are natural. In this way, it would meet the objectives set by the strategy.

"The local and regional authorities fully support the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy because they consider that it is the only way to consolidate a sustainable food system in Europe and to ensure food sovereignty without destroying biodiversity. Agroecology is a relevant response to the challenges we face. Reducing the use of expensive pesticides would make farms better able to cope with the economic, energy and environmental crises, and that less dependence on chemical pesticides is likely to strengthen the resilience of European agriculture in the long term".

Mr Heijo Höfer, rapporteur for the "Sustainable use of pesticides" opinion for the European Committee of the Regions

Synergies with the African and Continent:

Pesticides are widely used in Emerging Markets (BEM) and developing economies. Africa is rapidly developing its dependency on agricultural pesticides. Its demand is growing due to the current large crop production system, which prioritizes high agricultural yields. Pesticides are composed of chemicals that can control pests or regulate plant growth. Multiple agro-farmers perceive pesticide use as the best means to protect their crops against pests, such as desert locusts in parts of Africa. Although less than 5% of pesticide sales currently go to Africa, the use of pesticides is growing sharply, especially in West Africa, since the arrival of the new crop pest, the Fall armyworm, in 2016.

Sustainable agricultural practices developed by projects such as NextFUMIGREEN, that recognize the long-term ecological advantages of good agricultural practices, contribute to a "Zero Waste Environment" and can improve the well-being of African farmers, food safety, and its whole citizens.

In this sense, the use of pesticides to produce food, both to feed local populations and for export, should comply with good agricultural practices regardless of the economic status of a country. Farmers should limit the amount of pesticide used to the minimum necessary to protect their crops. It is also possible, under certain circumstances, to produce food without the use of pesticides.

"LIfe Next Fumigreen: Development of Natural Fumigants"

"The European Union's partners such as Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa, represents regions that could experience significant repercussions from the reduction or elimination of pesticides, thereby affecting food security. Despite this, the current employment of pesticides poses threats to both our ecosystem and public health. Consequently, there is a pressing need to shift focus towards innovative techniques and the adoption of best practices to sustain agricultural production while ensuring the judicious use of pesticides. As proponents of the Green Deal, a flagship initiative within the EU, it is imperative for us to unite and collaborate. This collaboration can be facilitated through established traditional cooperation programs, such as EuroClima, funded by the Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), as well as through recently introduced investment instruments like the Global Gateway."

Ms Silvana González - MEP and Member of the European Parliament's Development Committee and Member of the European Parliament's Development Committee