Regional Patterns of Pesticide Consumption Determinants in the European Union

This article contributes to the discussion about the socioeconomic factors that reinforce pesticide dependence in the European Union and hinder the transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in light of the European Union’s Green Deal objective of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2023-01, Vol.15 (3), p.2070
Main Authors: Robu, Raluca Georgiana, Holobiuc, Ana-Maria, Alexoaei, Alina Petronela, Cojanu, Valentin, Miron, Dumitru
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural land
Agricultural policy
Agricultural practices
Agricultural research
Agriculture
Agrochemicals
Analysis
Application
Cluster analysis
Consumption
Consumption data
Organic farming
Pesticides
Population levels
Social factors
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomics
Soil fertility
Sustainability
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable practices
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Summary:This article contributes to the discussion about the socioeconomic factors that reinforce pesticide dependence in the European Union and hinder the transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in light of the European Union’s Green Deal objective of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% by 2030. The analysis has a two-pronged purpose: (1) to identify the determinants of pesticide consumption in the European Union by conducting a set of four seemingly unrelated regressions and (2) to emphasize the existence of regional patterns across EU countries formed by the factors that significantly impact pesticide consumption based on a cluster analysis. Per capita GDP, selling prices, population, and real income positively influence pesticide use, whereas subsidies and organic agricultural area negatively influence them. Pesticide use is most affected by GDP per capita and least affected by subsidies. Cluster analysis highlights regional differences reflected in three clusters: (1) the most recent EU member states, (2) the European countries with large population levels, and (3) the countries with the highest GDP per capita. Our findings may contribute to the EU’s capacity to generate policy changes at the member state level and can be built into recommendations to address the persistent overuse of pesticides.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su15032070