Luisa Gensch presents novel research on pesticide risks and sustainable land use at joint Degrowth and Ecological Economics Conference

20 June 2024

Photo: esee-degrowth2024.uvigo.gal

The University of Vigo hosted a joint conference in Pontevedra, Spain, from June 18-21, 2024, combining the 10th International Degrowth Conference and the 15th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics. This event brought together two influential research networks focused on sustainability and alternative economic models. The conference, titled "Science, Technology, and Innovation beyond growth: Cultivating collective creativity for a sustainable future," featured academic lectures, expert panels, and artistic workshops. It aimed to address ecological, social, economic, and political dimensions of sustainability while promoting principles of degrowth. Organizers welcomed over 500 attendees, including academics and activists from around the world. The event also included civic engagement activities throughout the year, offering opportunities for public participation in workshops, debates, and exhibitions. The conference emphasized cooperation, sustainability, inclusivity, and solidarity, reflecting the core values of both degrowth and ecological economics. It sought to foster collaboration between local and international actors, engage civil society, and promote knowledge exchange between scientific and local communities.

FNK's Luisa Gensch contributed insights from two new studies to the joint conference. She delivered a presentation titled "Pesticide Risk Assessment in European Agriculture: Distribution Patterns, Ban-Substitution Effects, and Regulatory Implications," where she discussed the environmental impacts of pesticide use and the effects of recent bans in the EU. Additionally, Gensch presented a poster on "Reconciling Objectives: Optimizing Land Use for Organic Farming and Protected Area Expansion as Part of the European Green Deal," which explored strategies to balance organic farming expansion and protected area targets within the EU.

Luisa is a PhD student at the International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling (IMPRS-ESM) and a member of the  Cluster of Excellence "Climate, Climatic Change, and Society” (CLICCS) contributing to the CLICCS project C2 - Sustainable Land-Use Scenarios: Soil, Biodiversity, Water, Food and Energy Security. Her doctoral research is supervised by Dr. Kerstin Jantke and Prof. Uwe Schneider.