Use of Copper-Based Fungicides in Organic Agriculture in Twelve European Countries

• Main Authors: Tamm, Lucius, Thuerig, Barbara, Apostolov, Stoilko, Blogg, Hugh, Borgo, Esmeralda, Corneo, Paola Elisa, Fittje, Susanne, de Palma, Michelangelo, Donko, Adam, Experton, Catherine, Marin, Évelyne Alcázar, Pérez, Ángela Morell, Pertot, Ilaria, Rasmussen, Anton, Steinshamn, Håvard, Vetemaa, Airi, Willer, Helga, Herforth-Rahmé, Joëlle
• Format: Article
• Language: English

The reduction of copper-based plant-protection products with the final aim of phasing out has a high priority in European policy, as well as in organic agriculture. Our survey aims at providing an overview of the current use of these products in European organic agriculture and the need for alternatives to allow policymakers to develop strategies for a complete phasing out. Due to a lack of centralized databases on pesticide use, our survey combines expert knowledge on permitted and real copper use per crop and country, with statistics on organic area. In the 12 surveyed countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK), we calculated that approximately 3258 t copper metal per year is consumed by organic agriculture, equaling to 53% of the permitted annual dosage. This amount is split between olives (1263 t y−1, 39%), grapevine (990 t y−1, 30%), and almonds (317 t y−1, 10%), followed by other crops with much smaller annual uses (