Foresight prompts researchers in pest management to look beyond research

Overview & Synopsis

Times are changing for pest management in Europe. Stronger societal demands are putting pressure on farmers to reduce their reliance on pesticides. As a result, new legislation on pesticides recently came into force. !e diversity of available pesticides has been signi"cantly reduced and their use is increasingly restricted. Many in the crop protection community now wonder about the future of pest management. ENDURE, a European network of universities, research centers and extension groups, conducted a foresight study to provide crop protection stakeholders with the tools they need to proactively respond. !e study identi"es research needed to develop new solutions based on biological diversity, harmless chemicals, new technologies such as information and communications technology, nanotechnology and robotics, and economics, political sciences and the social dimension of innovation. But the study poses a new challenge to researchers: When building contrasting scenarios, researchers realized that the key drivers determining future crop protection strategies actually lie outside their traditional sphere of in#uence. To respond to the challenge, they need to engage with stakeholders outside research.