Reducing pesticide use in arable fields through cropping system re-design:what impact on farm productivity and profitability?

Due to their impacts on biodiversity and human health, reducing pesticide use is a key stepfor transitioning to sustainable farming systems (Matson et al, 1997; Storkey et al, 2012).Following the European SUD Directive, the Ecophyto plan set the objective of halving pesticideuse in France, primarily by 2018, but thereafter postponed to 2025 (ECOPHYTO II+ Plan,Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition, 2018).The Ecophyto plan launched the DEPHY network, based on about 3.000 farms engaged in thedemonstration that reducing pesticide use is possible without impairing farm profitability.Farms are coordinated in groups of 10-15 farms, and detailed practices data are collected andgathered i…