Hosted by PAN Europe IBMA and IOBC.
Where: Online - Zoom platform
When: 06 March 2023, 09:00 - 12:00 CET
Language: English
Programme: The meeting will be chaired by David Cary
9.00 Start of the meeting
- Welcome by IBMA / PAN Europe
- Welcome by MEP Radan Kanev
9.10 Keynote speeches
- "Is a 2050 chemical pesticide-free world possible?" - Christian Huyghe, Scientific Director of Agriculture, INRAE
- Alignment of the Bulgarian NAP with the F2F pesticide reduction targets - Borislav Sandov, former Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policies and former Minister of Environment
09:40 State of the environment and agricultural production
- Alternatives to synthetic pesticides in arable farming - Member of the Bulgarian Parliament, Albena Simeonova
- Agro-ecological transition in Bulgaria in practice - Prof. Nidal Shaban, University of Forestry
10:10 Ecological transition facilitated by biocontrol
- Biological control solutions and their benefits - their essential role for a complete agroecological transition working with nature - IBMA Executive Director, Jennifer Lewis, IBMA
- Experiences with agro-ecological solutions in conventional arable farming – Biobest Group Director Research & Development, Felix Wäckers
- Results in pesticides reduction by using biocontrol – Amitiza, Svilen Smilenov, Bulgaria
10:55 Alternatives to chemical pesticides and tools to facilitate the transition in arable crops
- Policy tools helping farmers in transition to agroecology in maize production - Academic Researcher from University of Padua, Lorenzo Furlan
- Insects decline in correlation with yield stability - Prof. Daniela Atanasova Entomologist at Agriculture University of Plovdiv
- Alternatives to neonicotinoids in arable - Bulgarian Conventional Farmer, Yosif Delgyanski
11:45 Debate with participants
- Minister, MEPs, NGOs
11:55 Closing word – Martin Dermine, PAN Europe
Presentations of earlier years SUD symposiums
Who are we? An innovative partnership consisting of:
IOBC/WPRS is an International Organisation of progressive European researchers and other knowledgeable people investigating the use of sustainable, environmentally safe, economically feasible, socially acceptable control methods of pests and diseases of agricultural crops. IOBC/WPRS fosters research and practical application, training and information exchange, especially of all methods including biological control as part of integrated pest management. IOBC/WPRS produces guidelines for integrated production of agricultural crops, collaborates with different stakeholders to develop sustainable agricultural production systems and standardises methods of testing effects of pesticides on beneficial species, with the aim to foster biodiversity and ecological services as a natural resource.
IBMA is the association of biocontrol industries producing solutions: microorganisms, macroorganisms, semiochemicals and natural products for plant protection. Based on long years of intensive research and development, the "Biocontrol industry" is now growing fast and can offer safe and cost- effective solutions to the entire food chain. IBMA was created in 1995 to represent the views of the developing biological control manufacturers, which are mainly SME’s with limited resources, research organisations, extension services, consultants, distributors, contributing to the development of biocontrol and participating in IBMA activities.
PAN Europe is an NGO working to minimise negative effects and replace the use of hazardous chemicals with ecologically sound alternatives. Our network brings together public health, and environmental organisations and women's groups from across 19 European countries. We work to eliminate dependency on chemical pesticides and to support safe sustainable pest control methods.
PAN Europe gratefully acknowledges the financial support from the European Union, European Commission, DG Environment, LIFE programme. Sole responsibility for this event lies with the authors and the funders are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.
