Figure

Trend in pesticide use in non-agricultural areas in France

Figure Created 17 Apr 2023 Published 03 May 2023 Last modified 03 May 2023

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This figure shows the use of plant protection products by professional and non-professional users by year in non-agricultural areas in France. More precisely, it shows the evolution, calculated only for non-agricultural areas, of an indicator known as NODU («Nombre de Doses Unités»). The non-agricultural NODU corresponds to the surface area of gardens, green spaces and infrastructures (so-called JEVI) that would be treated annually with the plant protection products sold during the course of a year, at the maximum authorised doses. After a period of strong decrease, the 2020 non-agricultural NODU stands at 130,736 ha in 2020, down 92% since 2009. As a result of the use restrictions applied to private individuals in France, the share of non-professional use in the 2020 non-agricultural NODU is decreasing: it goes from 65% (1,104,758 ha) in 2009 to 32% (41,953 ha) in 2020.

https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/trend-in-pesticide-use-in/fig1-france2-250802-pesticide-use-v3.eps/image_large

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Methodology:: The general NODU indicator is calculated from the sales data of the distributors of plant protection products declared in the National Bank of Sales of Plant Protection Product Distributors (BNV-d) and corresponds to the surface area that would be treated annually with the plant protection products sold during the course of a year, at the maximum authorised doses. It is expressed in hectares and, in relation to the French agricultural area (SAU), it corresponds to the theoretical number of treatments applied at full dose on an area of one hectare. The full methodology for the NODU indicator is available here: https://agriculture.gouv.fr/quest-ce-que-le-nodu. The non-agricultural NODU indicator follows the same methodology, but it only takes into account the use of plant protection products in gardens, green spaces and infrastructures (so-called JEVI), whether for professional (e.g. community) or non-professional use.
Units:: Hectares (ha)
Rights:: EEA standard re-use policy: unless otherwise indicated, re-use of content on the EEA website for commercial or non-commercial purposes is permitted free of charge, provided that the source is acknowledged (https://www.eea.europa.eu/legal/copyright). Copyright holder: Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté Alimentaire - DGAL.
Owners:: Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté Alimentaire - DGAL
Figure type:: Graph

Additional information

The NODU is concerned with the sales of products, which can be considered directly correlated to the use made of them. The products purchased are indeed intended to be applied on land. An observed increase in the indicator indicates an increased pressure on the environment. Even if the indicator does not make it possible to account for changes in spraying pressures according to the sensitivity of the exposed ecosystems and species, it gives a first robust indication in terms of an increase or reduction in pressure linked to plant protection products.