The negative impact of synthetic pesticides on the environment over the last few decades no longer needs to be proven. All links in the food chain are affected by pesticides, which have a significant impact on biodiversity. The use of pesticides also affects the ecosystem services provided, for example, by pollinators and pest predators.

Wine production, one of the mainstays of European exports, still relies heavily on synthetic pesticides to guarantee yields and remain competitive. The 3.3 million hectares of vineyards require a great deal of treatment compared with other crops (2 to 4 times more frequent than other crops), with fungicides accounting for the majority of treatments in vineyards, averaging 16 out of 20. They are used to prevent fungal diseases (such as mildew and powdery mildew), which affect 99.8% of vines and can cause up to 60% yield loss. More than 13,000 tonnes of fungicides are used every year to protect vineyards in France, Spain and Italy, which together produce 83% of European wine.

However, fungicides are leached from vineyards and detected far from where they were applied, carried by the air and waterways. As most wine-producing areas are located near the Mediterranean Sea, they are responsible for significant pollution of this body of water. Pesticides also have an impact on soils, which suffer a reduction in biodiversity, lose their resilience and become less fertile.

Public bodies want to drive change through international policy objectives, and citizens are changing their consumption patterns in favour of organic produce or protesting against pesticides. Alternative ways of protecting vines are emerging but remain marginal. Although the abolition of authorised pesticides will encourage the adoption of organic farming, lower yields, the massive use of copper and deep tillage affect the soil and water and are factors limiting its wider expansion. As for biocontrol products, they are not yet sufficiently effective or affordable for farmers to be considered a sustainable alternative.