Copper use in organic agriculture in twelve European countries.

Abstract

Reduction of copper-based fungicides 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 copper-based plant protection products in European organic agriculture and the need for alternatives to allow policy makers 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, covering together 83% of the European organically managed horticultural area, we calculated approximately 3258 t copper metal per year are consumed by organic agriculture, equalling to 53% of the permitted annual dosage. This amount is split between olives (1263 t y-1, 39%), grapevine (990t y-1, 30%), and almonds (317 t y-1, 10%), followed by other crops with much smaller annual uses (<80 t y-1). Potato, usually considered a highly demanding plant for copper inputs, only uses 39 t y-1 of copper per year. In 56% of the allowed cases (countries × crops), farmers use less than half of the allowed amount, and in 27% less than a quarter, with some variability between countries. Considering the large volumes of copper used annually, replacement of copper seems only feasible if all preventive strategies from the crop protection pyramid are fully implemented and several affordable alternative plant protection products are successfully brought to the market.

The State of Play of Copper, Mineral Oil, External Nutrient Input, Anthelmintics, Antibiotics and Vitamin Usage and Available Reduction Strategies in Organic Farming across Europe

“…Therefore, this paper contributes to the current discourse with additional knowledge on the current use of these six inputs and their alternatives in Europe by summarizing the results of six internal reports [48][49][50][51][52][53] of the RELACS project. The results of some of these reports were published [54,55] while others are publications in progress [56,57]. The results presented here and in the RELACS reports fill in the gaps of European and national databases which to this day still lack consolidate information on the actual use of these inputs.…”

Further Limitations of Synthetic Fungicide Use and Expansion of Organic Agriculture in Europe Will Increase the Environmental and Health Risks of Chemical Crop Protection Caused by Copper‐Containing Fungicides

“…Copper-containing fungicides are essential for organic farming, a growing agricultural sector in Europe that invariably depends on their use in crop protection (Tamm et al, 2021). Yield losses in organic production have been estimated at 50% to 100% if copper fungicides were no longer available as plant protection products in hops, grapes, and various fruit crops.…”

“…The present study summarizes key reports and documents to highlight the toxicological and ecotoxicological risks associated with the use of copper compounds in crop protection. Copper‐containing fungicides are essential for organic farming, a growing agricultural sector in Europe that invariably depends on their use in crop protection (Tamm et al, 2021). Yield losses in organic production have been estimated at 50% to 100% if copper fungicides were no longer available as plant protection products in hops, grapes, and various fruit crops.…”

“…The approval and use of copper as fungicide in crop protection to date is essentially based on its indispensability in organic farming. Nevertheless, because of its critical toxicological and ecotoxicological properties, a withdrawal of the active ingredient approval is being considered by the European Commission (Tamm et al, 2021), which has led to the assignment of copper fungicides as candidates of substitution. In this context, the present review aims to (1) provide an overview of the mode of action and uses of copper in crop protection, (2) highlight the risks associated with copper fungicides in terms of phytotoxicity, mammalian toxicity, and ecotoxicity, and (3) critically discuss the current status of efforts to reduce copper application.…”

“…The total use of copper‐containing fungicides in organic farming in 12 European countries was estimated at 3258 t in 2017. The amount of copper used was highly correlated to the organically managed area (Tamm et al, 2021).…”