Problems and their solutions exist in our minds -TOPPS-prowadis survey in EU countries to understand how to reduce losses of Plant Protection Product (PPP) to surface water

摘要

"Water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such ...It is necessary to develop an integrated Community policy on water." (Excerpt from the recitals to the European Water Framework Directive). Agriculture is considered to be a main contributor to water pollution caused by entries of Nitrates, Phosphates and Pesticides. TOPPS multi-stakeholder projects in various EU countries, supported by ECPA and partly the EU Commission through their Life programme, focus on the reduction of losses of PPP to water since 2005. Key tasks of these projects are to develop Best Management Practices (BMPs) through a framework of consistent recommendations and to disseminate these through educational materials, training and demonstrations to operators and stakeholders. The BMPs are developed along the magic triangle: i.e. correct behaviour of operators, optimized technique and optimized infrastructure. In order to understand how operators' andstakeholders' behaviour can be influenced by implemention of better water protection it is necessary to know how they perceive the relevant issues. We therefore have conducted various surveys during the TOPPS projects, together with our local partners,using mail questionnaires with stakeholders and through personal interviews with farmers. Results presented refer to stakeholder surveys conducted in 2012 in 7 EU countries.