"Advanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, systems, and adoption in Scandinavia, Holland, and the United Kingdom with potential application in Australian horticulture"
Churchill Memorial Trust: www.churchilltrust.com.au
John Swire & Sons: www.swire.com.au
Summary Report Download Photographs Tip Sheet
Fellowship Objective
Investigate advanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, systems, and adoption in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Holland, and the United Kingdom with potential application in Australian horticulture
Fellowship Findings
Innovation and adaptation- a progressive agricultural sector in Northern Europe: Northern Europe’s agricultural sector, particularly its vegetable and fruit production, are verifiably clean and green due to chemical-alternative practices incorporated into conventional production, and progressive benchmarking systems to measure levels of synthetic pesticide and fertiliser use. I found the farmer attitudes to be very accepting of change in each of the countries visited; there is a definite culture of innovation and adaptation amongst many leading Northern European farmers particularly in Denmark and Sweden. Only a few of the pesticides available to Australian farmers are available to the Northern Europeans with Danish producers having access to the least number of registered products. Innovation is also evident in the government and university agricultural Research, Development, and Extension (R,D,&E) institutions. Equipment and pest forecast techniques are being used commercially by farmers. I identified several tools and techniques with possible application for Australian horticulture.
Government facilitation of organic agriculture: There is very strong government support for developing organic industries in each of the countries visited; organic production is viewed as a pathway to ‘clean and green’. This support extends to subsidies to assist growers in the conversion process.
Integrated Production as the European way of farming: Marketing challenges exist with producers trying to get consumer recognition for Integrated Production branding at a similar level to organic recognition. This appears to be failing and conventional produce may eventually be produced via integrated production without branding. Such a scenario could also occur in Australia.
Government policies for a clean and green agriculture: Most noticeable were strong government policies, particularly in Denmark. These are driving successful pesticide reduction programs. In Australia a notable lack of such policies needs to be addressed to achieve sustainable horticulture that is capable of being verified ‘clean and green’.
Recommendations
The report identifies 17 recommendations ranked as essential, high priority, or desirable to progress to a productive, efficient, clean and green horticultural sector in Australia. Many of these could be addressed subject to the following actions that are considered of a very high priority:
These recommendations will be progressed through my own work program and briefings given to the Tasmanian Premier, Minister for Primary Industries, Water, and Environment and DPIWE Executive. My focus will extend beyond technical implementation to policy development where possible.
Churchill Fellowship Report Downloads
Acknowledgments
I wish to thank John Swire & Sons Pty. Ltd. for their generous sponsorship of my Churchill Fellowship. I wish to thank the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for enabling me to undertake the study tour. Thanks also to the Department of Primary Industries, Water, and Environment for assisting with the provision of work time towards the Fellowship. My contacts and host organisations are also acknowledged for the time and effort they put into developing my itinerary and for their extraordinary hospitality. Thanks to my Fellowship referees: Rowland Laurence, Phillip Dilger, John Ireson, and Scott Champion. Finally, thanks to my family: my wife, Hilda, and my parents for their support and encouragement undertaking the Fellowship.
Photo by L. Broos