Socio-Ecological Systems Perspective on Natural Pest Control: Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice

Agroecosystems provide a good example of a socio-ecological system in which ecological and social dimensions interact and shape one another. Here, ecosystem services emerge through interactions among ecological processes, governance structures, and stakeholder practices. Natural pest control (NPC) is a well-established and increasingly recognised ecosystem service in ecological research, yet limited attention has been paid to how it is understood, operationalised, and framed within regulatory and practical contexts. As a result, its potential contribution to system resilience may depend on how it is interpreted, governed, and implemented across science, policy, and practice.

The study conducted within the IMPRESS project examines whether and how scientific knowledge about NPC is translated into legal frameworks and how these align with stakeholder understandings and on-farm practices. To address these questions, the research is based on a review of nearly 70 relevant EU and national policy documents and 30 semi-structured interviews conducted across five European countries. In addition, the diversity of on-farm practices, as well as the barriers to and enabling factors for the adoption of NPC practices, was assessed through a farmer survey across the same five countries.

Results show that while NPC is well defined in ecological research it remains weakly defined in regulatory frameworks. However, even policy-promoted “non-chemical alternatives” do not always reflect ecological understandings of NPC or its potential contributions to biodiversity and resilience. At the same time, stakeholders associate NPC with broader system-level benefits, such as maintaining ecological balance, reducing dependency on external inputs, and supporting long-term sustainability. However, uncertainties about effectiveness and existing production-oriented norms limit its uptake.

The findings reveal a misalignment between scientific concepts, policy framings, and stakeholder perceptions. Such misalignment is particularly important because ecological processes and social responses are closely related, and effective governance depends on some degree of shared understanding across science, policy, and practice. Addressing this gap therefore requires not only clearer definitions, but also stronger integration of knowledge across domains in order to support more coherent governance and more resilient agroecosystems.