Project properties

Title Pesticide risks awareness and sustainable plant protection transition
Group Soil Physics and Land Management group
Project type thesis
Credits 24-39
Supervisor(s) Violette Geissen, Paula Harkes & Esperanza Huerta Lwanga
Examiner(s) Violette Geissen
Contact info violette.geissen@wur.nl
Begin date 2021/05/25
End date
Description Pesticides are heavily used in agriculture to reduce crop losses due to pests, weeds and pathogens. Between 1961 and 2011 the global agricultural production more than tripled, largely due to pesticide use. Currently, global pesticide use exceeds 4 million tonnes per year. Such long term and intensive pesticides use raises major health and environmental concerns since part of applied products does not reach the target, being instead distributed into the environment. Several pesticide active substances and/or their metabolites are persistent, bio accumulative and/or toxic to non-target species.

The recently launched SPRINT project will make an internationally valid contribution to assess integrated risks and impacts of pesticides on environment and human health, both at regional and European level SPRINT will inform and accelerate the adoption of innovative transition pathways towards more sustainable plant protection in the context of a global health approach https://sprint-h2020.eu/

Research Objective/Question

Perspectives of farmers of the effects of pesticides on ecosystem and human health and ideas on transition

Study area: Groningen

What is expected from the student (type of research)

- Identify and engage stakeholders in regional (Groningen region) and national level
- Design and perform questionnaires to farmers and retailers on pesticide use and pesticide awareness
- processing interviews data
- prepare presentation materials with gathered data
Used skills
Requirements