Data on the uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices in European agriculture

We here present data collected in a large-scale survey from 25 National Crop Clusters (NCCs) across 10 European countries (Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, and Greece), comprising 8 different crops (grapes, olives, apples, strawberries, wheat, maize, potatoes, and onions). Each National Crop Cluster represents a crop-specific network in one country, which includes farmers growing a specific crop and other relevant actors in its production environment and supply chain. The National Crop Clusters have been selected to represent a diversity of regions, crops, farm types, sectors and system representatives of European agriculture. They cover a broad geographical spread in different climatic zones, making them suitable for studying Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, barriers, and opportunities in various food sectors. In total, 4,684 complete responses were obtained from the farmers, using an online survey in country-specific languages in 2024. The survey focuses on decisions regarding the adoption of IPM practices and low-pesticide use. The survey data contains information on farmers current and future use of IPM measures, as well as their perceived effectiveness. The dataset further provides comprehensive information on farm and farmer characteristics, farmers' preferences and attitudes toward IPM, their sources of information, and perceived barriers to adoption. Additionally, data were collected regarding behavioural factors such as non-cognitive skills and risk preferences. This harmonized and broad coverage survey data are particularly useful to identify factors facilitating or hindering the uptake of IPM measures, considering the heterogeneity of farmer's behaviour, socio-economic and environmental factors in European agriculture. Nevertheless, sample sizes differ across the national crop clusters, and the dataset is not fully representative for some national crop clusters. In addition, for several national crop clusters the share of organic farmers in the datasets is higher than the national average, which shall be considered when interpreting responses related to crop protection practices, IPM uptake, and information sources.