EU-funded research to advance agroecological weed management in Europe, Part I: vision

Abstract

Weeds are a major challenge in agriculture, significantly reducing crop yields, threatening food security, and causing adverse effects on ecosystems, human health, and biodiversity. Although synthetic herbicides have been the primary method of weed control and remain widely used due to their effectiveness, growing concerns about their environmental and health impacts—combined with regulatory pressures in the European Union to reduce chemical inputs—have increased the demand for alternative strategies. Agroecological Weed Management (AWM) has emerged as a sustainable strategy, integrating ecological principles and combinations of diverse practices (such as crop rotation, cover cropping, digital tools and mechanical methods) to balance productivity with environmental conservation. AWM emphasizes the co-design of solutions with stakeholders across the agri-food value chain, prioritizing non-chemical approaches that enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and leverage the ecosystem services provided by plants. This paradigm shift aligns with European Union targets to drastically reduce pesticide use in the coming years and promote sustainable farming practices, while keeping EU agriculture competitive. However, transitioning to AWM requires addressing challenges such as economic pressures on farmers, overreliance on herbicides, and the need for education-training, extension services and innovative low-cost technologies. Through research on AWM approaches, three European-funded projects aim to present their collective vision for sustainable weed management in Europe, serving as the foundation for a series of articles that will document their methodologies, findings, and progress throughout their implementation.