Zero Growth of Chemical Fertilizer and Pesticide Use: China's Objectives, Progress and Challenges

TLDR

China’s 2015 Ministry of Agriculture launched two actions aiming for zero growth in chemical fertilizer and pesticide use by 2020, targeting pollution control, cost efficiency, energy conservation, food safety, and sustainable agriculture. This study examines the feasibility of those actions by evaluating policy design, local implementation, technical support, and past achievements. The authors identify challenges and propose solutions—including basic research on usage drivers, improved monitoring systems, demonstration projects, and stronger reduction policies—to achieve zero growth.

Abstract

In 2015 China's Ministry of Agriculture introduced two Actions that seek to achieve zero growth in the use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides by 2020. Success in reaching these targets will help control agricultural non-point source pollution, increase cost efficiency, energy conservation and emission reductions, help to ensure the safety and quality of the national grain supply and agricultural products and the safety of the ecological environment, and realize the sustainable development of agriculture. However, successful implementation will be crucial. This article considers the main contents of the Actions and analyzes their feasibility from the perspectives of policy formulation, local practices, technical support and achievements. We identify problems and challenges and suggest that zero growth of chemical fertilizer and pesticide use can be achieved by undertaking basic research on the factors that shape the use of farm chemicals, making improvements to the monitoring and statistical system for chemical fertilizer and pesticide use, setting up demonstration projects and enhancing policies formulated to reduce chemical fertilizer and pesticide use.