On 14 February 2023, the SPRINT project team shared some initial project findings with key stakeholder in Europe for the first time.

Newly published research from SPRINT explores the extent to which public consultations likely contribute to democratic decision-making surrounding agricultural pesticide use. Through a critical discourse analysis of submissions to the public consultation concerning the European Union’s Farm to Fork Strategy, the authors, among them Ecologic Institute's Dr. Ana Frelih-Larsen, examine the role of public consultations as a democratic process and the extent to which their non-deliberative nature advances solutions to contentious and complex challenges.

The aim of the SPRINT project (Sustainable Plant Protection Transition: A Global Health Approach) is to support the transition towards more sustainable plant protection. This relies on close interaction with stakeholders along the whole supply chain, civil society and regulatory bodies. The SPRINT Stakeholder Introductory event, co-organized by Ecologic Institute, took place on Tuesday 22nd June, 2021. With 117 participants and a lively discussion in breakout groups, the meeting was a great way to kick-off our exchanges with stakeholders.

The use of pesticides represents a risk to human and environmental health, with recent research findings suggesting an association of exposure with increased risk of health problems, including Parkinson's disease, reproductive and developmental issues and cancer, whilst affecting the health of soil, water, and biodiversity.

Currently, farming systems in Europe rely strongly on the use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs). Yet, the use of PPPs pose risks to both human and environmental health with pesticide exposure being associated with health problems, including reproductive issues and cancer as well as environmental degradation. In the SPRINT project, research institutes from 11 European countries and Argentina as well as the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) work together, alongside with farmers and policy makers, to accelerate the transition to sustainable plant protection.