Project website

EGM joins the CONSERWA project: towards agroecological weed management

At a time when agricultural practices need to evolve towards more environmentally-friendly solutions, EGM has joined forces with CONSERWA, a pioneering European project focusing on weed management through agroecological approaches. This project responds to the urgent need to reduce the use of synthetic herbicides, while offering sustainable and effective alternatives to intensive agriculture.

Why the CONSERWA project ?

Despite regulatory efforts, agriculture still relies heavily on the use of synthetic herbicides for weed control, with adverse impacts on human health and the environment (source: Eurostat). The European Union has therefore set an ambitious target: to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030.
In this context, agroecology appears to be the best alternative to intensive agriculture. It enhances biodiversity and natural processes (nitrogen, carbon and water cycles), while establishing a balance between pests and crop beneficials. By combining sustainable agricultural practices and technological innovations, CONSERWA offers a way to meet the challenge of weed management without resorting to synthetic products.

CONSERWA objectives :

Collect a portfolio of agroecological agricultural practices: The project brings together a series of proven practices for weed management within an agroecological framework.
Measure their performance and impact: Using innovative tools, CONSERWA will assess the effectiveness of the strategies implemented and their environmental impact.
Support communication between players: The project aims to create an open dialogue between the various players in the value chain, from farmers to food processors and advisors.
Collaborating with the value chain: CONSERWA will also study economic and social influencing factors, drawing on collaboration with industrial partners and advisory services.

EGM’s role in the CONSERWA project

As a key player in the CONSERWA project, EGM is involved in several strategic missions designed to support the development, analysis and marketing of the agroecological solutions tested as part of the project.

Development of an open, collaborative platform : EGM’s mission is to design and deploy the common platform that enables the various stakeholders (farmers, researchers, advisors, food industries) to collaborate effectively. This platform facilitates the evaluation of weed management strategies in an agroecological context.
The platform will offer man-machine interfaces for simple and intuitive use.
It will include an open data portal providing information on weed management practices and herbicide use across Europe, giving farmers and decision-makers access to reliable, up-to-date data.
It incorporates a decision-support system providing recommendations. These are based on information on technical progress, environmental data and AI analysis of comparable experiences.