Pesticide reduction amidst food and feed security concerns in Europe
Open accessAbstract
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 claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Reducing pesticide use has been shown to mitigate unintended ecological impacts, such as biodiversity loss, pollinator decline, and soil degradation, all key to strengthening a resilient food system.
“In pursuit of food security, reducing pesticide use has been shown to mitigate unintended ecological impacts, such as biodiversity loss, pollinator decline, and soil degradation, all key to strengthening a resilient food system (Schneider et al., 2023).”
From Agroecology for sustainable development: evidence on multidimensional performance from a cross-country TAPE assessment in Africa (2025) · cites this paper as Schneider et al., 2023
In “Reduced pesticide use contributes to sustainable yields in the long term” (page not specified), the paper identifies pesticide use as a driver of biodiversity loss and links it to reduced pollination services and soil health. It argues that reducing pesticide use would benefit ecosystem services and long-term yields, but does not present mitigation of all three impacts as an already demonstrated result; “has been shown” overstates its conclusion. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Global food security, biodiversity conservation and the future of agricultural intensification
Tscharntke, T., Clough, Y., Wanger, T. C., Jackson, L., Motzke, I., Perfecto, I., Vandermeer, J. H., & Whitbread, A. M. (2012) · Biological Conservation · doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.01.068 · Cited by 2,081 · see citing works
Risk of pesticide pollution at the global scale
Tang, F. H. M., Lenzen, M., McBratney, A., & Maggi, F. (2021) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-021-00712-5 · Cited by 1,340 · see citing works
The crop yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture
de Ponti, T., Rijk, B., & van Ittersum, M. K. (2012) · Agricultural Systems · doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2011.12.004 · Cited by 1,185 · see citing works
Biological control and sustainable food production
Bale, J. S., LENTEREN, J. C. V., & Bigler, F. (2007) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2007.2182 · Cited by 790 · see citing works
Intensification for redesigned and sustainable agricultural systems
Pretty, J. (2018) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aav0294 · Cited by 655 · see citing works
Risks of large-scale use of systemic insecticides to ecosystem functioning and services
Chagnon, M., Kreutzweiser, D. P., Mitchell, E. A. D., Morrissey, C. A., Noome, D. A., & van der Sluijs, J. P. (2014) · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · doi:10.1007/s11356-014-3277-x · Cited by 579 · see citing works
Reducing pesticide use while preserving crop productivity and profitability on arable farms
Lechenet, M., Dessaint, F., Py, G., Makowski, D., & Munier-Jolain, N. M. (2017) · Nature Plants · doi:10.1038/nplants.2017.8 · Cited by 457 · see citing works
Diseases in Intercropping Systems
Boudreau, M. A. (2013) · Annual Review of Phytopathology · doi:10.1146/annurev-phyto-082712-102246 · Cited by 380 · see citing works
Pesticide-free agriculture as a new paradigm for research
Jacquet, F., Jeuffroy, M., Jouan, J., Cadre, E. L., Litrico, I., Malausa, T., Reboud, X., & Huyghe, C. (2022) · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · doi:10.1007/s13593-021-00742-8 · Cited by 373 · see citing works
Pathways for advancing pesticide policies
Möhring, N., Ingold, K. M., Kudsk, P., Martin-Laurent, F. A., Niggli, U. A., Siegrist, M., Studer, B., Walter, A., & Finger, R. (2020) · Nature Food · doi:10.1038/s43016-020-00141-4 · Cited by 318 · see citing works
Dias, T., Dukes, A., & Antunes, P. M. (2014) · Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture · doi:10.1002/jsfa.6565 · Cited by 229 · see citing works
On-Farm Experimentation to transform global agriculture
Lacoste, M., Cook, S., McNee, M., Gale, D., Ingram, J., Bellon-Maurel, V., MacMillan, T., Sylvester-Bradley, R., Kindred, D. R., Bramley, R. G. V., et al. (2021) · Nature Food · doi:10.1038/s43016-021-00424-4 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Tosi, S., Sfeir, C., Carnesecchi, E., vanEngelsdorp, D., & Chauzat, M. (2022) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156857 · Cited by 210 · see citing works
Landscape‐level crop diversity benefits biological pest control
Redlich, S., Martin, E. A., & Steffan-Dewenter, I. D. (2018) · Journal of Applied Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13126 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Complex scaffold remodeling in plant triterpene biosynthesis
Peña, R. D. L., Hodgson, H., Liu, C., Stephenson, M. J., Martín, A. C., Owen, C., Harkess, A., Leebens‐Mack, J., Jimenez, L. E., Osbourn, A., et al. (2023) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.adf1017 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Does it matter who advises farmers? Pest management choices with public and private extension
Wuepper, D., Roleff, N., & Finger, R. (2020) · Food Policy · doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101995 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Anthropocene Crisis: Climate Change, Pollinators, and Food Security
Marshman, J., Blay‐Palmer, A., & Landman, K. (2019) · Environments · doi:10.3390/environments6020022 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Local pesticide use intensity conditions landscape effects on biological pest control
Ricci, B., Lavigne, C., Alignier, A., Aviron, S., Biju‐Duval, L., Bouvier, J., Choisis, J., Franck, P., Joannon, A., Ladet, S., et al. (2019) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.2898 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Organic Farming Lessens Reliance on Pesticides and Promotes Public Health by Lowering Dietary Risks
Benbrook, C., Kegley, S. E., & Baker, B. P. (2021) · Agronomy · doi:10.3390/agronomy11071266 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Lázaro, E., Makowski, D., & Civera, A. V. (2021) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-021-00291-8 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Ditzler, L., van Apeldoorn, D. F., Schulte, R. P. O., Tittonell, P. A., & Rossing, W. A. H. (2020) · European Journal of Agronomy · doi:10.1016/j.eja.2020.126197 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Dardonville, M., Bockstaller, C., Villerd, J., & Thérond, O. (2022) · Agricultural Systems · doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103365 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Groot, J. C. J., Yalew, S. G., & Rossing, W. A. H. (2018) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.12.008 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Profiling farming management strategies with contrasting pesticide use in France
Lechenet, M., Makowski, D., Py, G., & Munier-Jolain, N. M. (2016) · Agricultural Systems · doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2016.08.005 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
International demand for food and services drives environmental footprints of pesticide use
Tang, F. H. M., Malik, A., Li, M., Lenzen, M., & Maggi, F. (2022) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-022-00601-8 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Cropland heterogeneity drives frequency and intensity of pesticide use
Nicholson, C., & Williams, N. M. (2021) · Environmental Research Letters · doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ac0a12 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Impact assessment of EC 2030 Green Deal Targets for sustainable crop production
Bremmer, J., Gonzalez-Martinez, A., Jongeneel, R. A., et al. (2021) · doi:10.18174/558517 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Kessel, G. J. T., Mullins, E. D., Evenhuis, A., et al. (2018) · European Journal of Agronomy · doi:10.1016/j.eja.2018.01.012 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Juventia, S. D., Rossing, W. A. H., Ditzler, L., & van Apeldoorn, D. F. (2020) · Field Crops Research · doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2020.108015 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Improving pesticide-use data for the EU
Mesnage, R., Straw, E. A., Antoniou, M. N., et al. (2021) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-021-01574-1 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Andert, S., Bürger, J., & Gerowitt, B. (2015) · Crop Protection · doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2015.05.002 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
National leverage points to reduce global pesticide pollution
Wuepper, D., Tang, F. H. M., & Finger, R. (2022) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102631 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Ex-post evaluation of the Danish pesticide tax: A novel and effective tax design
Nielsen, H. Ø., Konrad, M. T. H., Pedersen, A. B., & Gyldenkærne, S. (2023) · Land Use Policy · doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106549 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Barriers to evidence use for sustainability: Insights from pesticide policy and practice
Hofmann, B., Ingold, K., Stamm, C., Ammann, P., Eggen, R., Finger, R., Fuhrimann, S., Lienert, J., Mark, J., McCallum, C., et al. (2022) · Ambio · doi:10.1007/s13280-022-01790-4 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Möhring, N., Kanter, D., Aziz, T., Castro, Í. B., Maggi, F., Schulte‐Uebbing, L., Seufert, V., Tang, F. H. M., Zhang, X., & Leadley, P. (2023) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-023-02120-x · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Science calls for ambitious European pesticide policies
Candel, J., Pe’er, G., & Finger, R. (2023) · Nature Food · doi:10.1038/s43016-023-00727-8 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
EU food-system transition requires innovative policy analysis methods
Candel, J. (2022) · Nature Food · doi:10.1038/s43016-022-00518-7 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Insights on cisgenic plants with durable disease resistance under the European Green Deal
Schneider, K. L., Barreiro‐Hurlé, J., Vossen, J. H., et al. (2023) · Trends in biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.02.005 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Self-citationAn analysis of yield variation under soil conservation practices
Anderson, A., Hammac, W. A., Stott, D. E., & Tyner, W. E. (2019) · Journal of Soil and Water Conservation · doi:10.2489/jswc.75.1.103 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Habran, S., Philippart, C., Jacquemin, P., & Remy, S. (2022) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119018 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Nause, N., Strassemeyer, J., Mahlein, A., & Stockfisch, N. (2021) · Pest Management Science · doi:10.1002/ps.6501 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Can Decision Support Systems Help Improve the Sustainable Use of Fungicides in Wheat?
Prahl, K. C., Klink, H., Hasler, M., et al. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su142315599 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Adoyo, B., Geck, M. S., Adeyemi, C., Alpuerto, J., Arinloye, A. A. D.-D., Ateku, D., Autfray, P., Barahona, C., Chacha, R., Cluset, R., et al. (2025) · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.3389/fsufs.2025.1667882 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- Schneider, K., Barreiro-Hurle, J., & Rodriguez-Cerezo, E.
- Affiliations
- European Commission (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Schneider, Kevin
- Venue
- Nature Food
- Published
- 2023-09-21
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 746-750
- ISSN
- 2662-1355 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10516746
- OpenAlex
- W4386923964
- Cited by
- 109
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 32 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 5
- FWCI
- 2.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Food (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- European Commission
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Agricultural safety and regulations
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agricultural Economics and Policy
- Keywords
- pesticide reduction, crop yield impacts, food security, ecosystem feedbacks, pesticide policy, European Union agriculture
- MeSH terms
- Europe, European Union, Food, Pesticides, Policy
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
