Background
Plastic plays an important role in agriculture and is used intentionally in farming, for example in weed suppressant mulches, silage wrap, tractor tyres, netting, and many other materials useful for farmers. Whilst useful, plastics shed micro and nano- plastics (MNP), the impacts of which are largely unknown. In addition, there are unintentional sources of micro- and nano-plastics in agricultural soils, including sewage sludge and compost, each of which leave plastic debris in soil.
Existing evidence suggests that micro- and nano-plastics in agricultural soils may accumulate in the soil, changing its physio-chemical properties and function, be ingested by a range of organisms, cross biological barriers, and accumulate chemical agents including pesticides and veterinary drugs. These plastics may, therefore, affect ecosystem services such as soil water dynamics and nutrient cycling, whilst having an unknown impact on the natural capital and economic viability of agricultural enterprises.
In order to address the lack of research into the impacts of agricultural micro- and nano-plastics on agricultural soils, MINAGRIS is:
1. Working with a stakeholder community to co-create a methodology which analyses the use and fate of plastics in European agriculture
2. Establishing a comprehensive overview of MNP concentrations in agricultural soils
3. Assessing the impacts of MNP on soil biodiversity, physical and chemical soil properties, agricultural productivity, and related ecosystems services, and how pesticides, veterinary drugs and additives interact with these plastics
4. Determining the contribution of different processes to the degradation and disaggregation of plastics in agricultural soils, and their transportation to other environments
5. Identifying the benefits and risks associated with various (un-)intentional uses of plastics in agricultural production across Europe
6. Informing stakeholders and the wider public of our findings on environmental and socio-economic impacts of MNP in agricultural soils
7. Providing farmers with operational knowledge and tools to assess their MNP exposure to support them in adopting sustainable agricultural practices
MINAGRIS is working across 11 case study countries, each of which include at least 10 farms. Find out more about our case studies here.
Read more about the project via our website, where you can also sign up to our biannual newsletter: https://minagris.eu/
