What environmental impacts does the application of chemical pesticides have in private and small gardens, and how can consumers help to avoid these? In this project an online information portal and a brochure were created to answer these questions. Besides the environmentally relevant side effects of chemical pesticides, the project also focused on alternative and preventive measures.

Methodological Approach

At the beginning of the project, existing information portals as well as the mass media’s reception of the topic was analyzed, in order to identify the most important questions and themes. Additionally, expert interviews and an online survey were conducted. Finally, after defining the target groups with the help of these results, the information portal and the brochure were developed. The contents ofthe portal and the brochure are illustrated by numerous fotos and infographics.

Tasks of the Ecologic Institute

The Ecologic Institute co-ordinated the project and was responsible for the analysis in the first part of the project. The texts for portal and brochure were written by Dr. Martin Hommes (Julius Kühn-Institut) and Mascha Schacht (Schreibwerkstatt Aquilegia). The Ecologic Institute's tasks included: editorial management, research and selection of photos, development of nine infographics, graphic design of the brochure and content management of the portal. Additionally, the Ecologic Institute supported the press and public relations work of the Federal Environment Agency to disseminate the portal and the brochure.