In an era in which talking about sustainability in agriculture is more urgent than ever, the latest report from the Agrofarma Observatory shows an encouraging scenario in which there is a good reduction in sales of plant protection products and chemical active ingredients in the last ten years, with a parallel growth of substances with low environmental impact.
However, it is important to point out that Agrofarma is the association of companies that sell agropharmaceuticals and the data therefore comes from the sector itself, not from independent observers.
The decline in sales of plant protection products
According to the report, comparing the most recent three-year period (2021-2023) with the reference period 2012-2014, overall sales of plant protection products in Italy fell by 18%, a greater decline compared to the -14% recorded just one year ago.
The most recent annual decline, from 2022 to 2023, is around 10%, with a particularly marked impact on fungicides and products in the “miscellaneous” category. In the ten-year period analyzed, some sectors recorded contractions of up to -25%.
When the active ingredients (PA) contained in the products are considered, the reduction is even more marked. Between the three-year period 2021-2023 and 2012-2014, total PAs fell by 24%, with particularly significant decreases for:
The European comparison
Compared to other EU countries, Italy shows a more marked reduction. The EU-27 average records a decline in active ingredients of -4%, with Germany at -6%, France at -9% and Spain at -16%.
Also in 2023, Italy continued to reduce sales of active ingredients at a rate higher than the European average.
The growth of low-impact alternatives
While overall sales of traditional pesticides decline, some safer and more sustainable product categories are seeing significant growth:
Simply put, the data presented by Agrofarma indicates a trend towards the reduction in sales of traditional plant protection products (-18%) and the most critical active ingredients (-24%), accompanied by an increase in the use of low impact substances. These are signs that suggest an ongoing change in the Italian agricultural sector, although it remains to be assessed to what extent these trends are influenced by economic, regulatory factors or voluntary choices towards greater sustainability.
