| dc.description.abstract | Pesticide usage in arable farming may be a threat to environmental and human health. In an attempt to alleviate this threat, the Netherlands (in line with EU Directive, 2009/128/EC) promotes the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) within its national policy (GGDO, 2013-2023). IPM is a means to reduce pesticide usage. Currently, this national policy has been unable to achieve policy targets around environmental quality and safe working conditions.
This research contributes to theoretical understanding of which environmental policy or private instruments work and why. Hypotheses regarding instrument characteristics contributing to effectiveness are derived from a literature review. The research further aims to identify under which conditions instrument characteristic identified as promising can inform policy design to decline pesticide use.
This paper assesses which policy and private instruments can contribute to pesticide use decline. This assessment firstly consists of a systematic literature review of evaluations of instruments for IPM between 1967-2017. The review is structured along three components which are indicated to shape the outcome of the studied instruments: (1) instrument characteristics; (2) the extent to which farm/farmer conditions are considered; (3) the extent to which conditions for success are present (motivation, ability, legitimacy, demand). Secondly, the findings of the literature review are assessed in terms of applicability for the case of the Netherlands. This allows an ex-ante assessment (based on semi-structured interviews) for instruments, identified as promising, to contribute to pesticide use decline in the Netherlands.
No specific instrument is observed to guarantee effectiveness (in terms of pesticide use decline). Six instrument characteristics are hypothesised to contribute to effectiveness by addressing the heterogeneity of farm/farmer conditions and the presence of the four conditions for success (motivation, demand, ability, legitimacy): instrument possession of a social, economic and environmental aim; instrument application at multiple and interacting levels; instruments led through a multi-stakeholder approach; instruments applied in an interactive governance arrangement; an instrument mix from different governance resources; a mix of both stimulating and discouraging instruments.
The research observed certain effective instrument characteristics and conditions (motivation and ability) to be absent in the Netherlands. This questions whether the instrument mix, considered as promising, could contribute to pesticide use decline in the Dutch context. Without a strong push of national government motivation and facilitation for pesticide use decline, it is questionable to which extent other instruments could overcome these observed absent characteristics and conditions to decline pesticide use. | |
