China has announced plans to reduce the use of pesticides in the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and tea by 10% within three years.
Soil degradation and water pollution are big problems in China due to the high use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers to grow crops in small, heavily exploited areas.
The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture also plans to reduce the use of pesticides on rice, wheat and corn by 5% over the same time period and increase the use of organic fertilizers by the same amount by 2025.
“There is an urgent need to improve the efficiency and scientific use of pesticides and fertilizers while helping to reduce the use of chemical pesticides,” the ministry’s website says. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain national food security and the supply of basic products, the plan says.
China has been trying to address this problem since 2015 by launching a campaign to end the rise in chemical use by 2020.
By 2021, the use of pesticides and fertilizers has decreased by 16.8% and 13.8%, respectively. However, the ministry said they are still overused and inefficient.
The government is encouraging the use of natural remedies such as insects and is targeting more than 55% of the crop area to use green practices by 2025.
