Participation in the SPW ARNE DAEA annual conference – Crossed perspectives on Walloon agriculture

Antoine Squilbin and Anton Riera presented the scenario planning project led by Sytra – UCLouvain as part of the Walloon Pesticide Reduction Program, which aims to define realistic pathways for reducing pesticide use and impacts in Wallonia.

Here are some key points to remember from our presentation:
📊 Analysis of DAEA’s operating accounts makes it possible to characterize the diversity of production methods within the agricultural sectors in Wallonia.
📍 To do this, it is important to take into account the specific soil and climate conditions of agricultural regions before being able to distinguish between the variability of yield characteristics and pesticide use.
4️⃣ Four categories of production methods are differentiated by their levels of efficiency and intensity in relation to regional averages. These statistically based typologies offer a simple and representative representation of the diversity of existing agricultural models.
⁉️ These typologies make it possible to design forward-looking scenarios that take into account the diversity of existing practices, ensuring that all agricultural models are represented in future development trajectories.

Other milestones associated with this project:

• May 2025 – Organization of a participatory workshop with stakeholders to present the current situation regarding pesticide use and risks in each agricultural region of Wallonia and to discuss levers for initiating transition scenarios.
• September 2025 – Publication of the final project report.