Pesticide reduction amidst food and feed security concerns in Europe

Recent studies have estimated the potential yield impacts of pesticide reductions in the European Union. While these estimates guide policy design, they are often based on worst-case assumptions and rarely account for positive ecological feedbacks that would contribute to sustainable crop yields in the long term. The European Commission's recent proposal for more sustainable use of plant protection products has raised concerns over the impact that reduced pesticide use could have on agricultural yields. This Perspective reviews some of the impact assessments informing policy developments and critically analyses their assumptions.