Despite decades of policy promoting sustainable pest management, European agriculture remains structurally dependent on synthetic pesticides. Evidence from the SPRINT project shows that pesticide use has become routine across farming systems, reinforced by advisory systems linked to input sales, market incentives favouring short-term yields, and policy frameworks that fail to address the underlying drivers of chemical reliance.

Incremental solutions such as precision spraying or replacing one product with another may reduce some risks, but they do not tackle the systemic lock-ins of pesticide dependency. A credible transition requires redesigning agricultural systems around ecological processes and aligning policies, markets and knowledge systems with this goal.

This policy brief argues that meaningful change requires redesigning agricultural systems around ecological processes rather than optimising chemical use. It outlines concrete policy actions for the EU to enable this transition, including binding pesticide reduction targets, stronger support for agroecological farming, independent advisory services, fairer value chains and greater transparency on pesticide use.

Read the full policy brief to explore the policy pathways for transitioning to pesticide-free farming.

Key recommendations:

• Boost on-farm innovation and biodiversity: Support the adoption of ecological practices such as biodiversity infrastructure, diversified cropping systems and locally adapted crop varieties by making them economically viable and scalable.
• Support fair value chains and markets: Use regulatory frameworks and public policy instruments to create fairer agri-food value chains that reward ecological production, for example through sustainability requirements in public procurement, shared producer infrastructure, and stronger transparency obligations for retailers and buyers.
• Reform governance for systemic change: Establish a coherent governance framework with legally binding EU pesticide reduction targets and low-pesticide practices as the baseline, while strengthening participatory governance and accessible transition hubs to support coordinated implementation.
• Transparency and public engagement: Foster trust and cooperation by embedding civic participation in policy processes and ensuring transparent disclosure of pesticide use, residue and exposure data.
• Strengthen knowledge and advisory systems: Ensure broad access to independent advisory services and up-to-date knowledge by integrating agroecological practices into vocational education, supporting experimentation through Living Labs, and connecting research, advisory systems and farmer-to-farmer learning.

Align financial and economic incentives with agroecology: Support farmers in moving away from pesticides by adjusting subsidy systems and public procurement and by introducing financial tools such as transition payments, risk-sharing mechanisms and results-based ecosystem service payments.