Professor Geissen will be a keynote speaker at AGRIFOODPLAST 2025, where she will be speaking about the use of plastics and biodegradable alternatives in agriculture. 

Prof. Geissen is a pioneer in research on microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils and its interaction with pesticides. 

Her work has shaped strategies to reduce plastic pollution in food systems and improve soil health. 

As Chair of Pillar 1 of the European Soil Partnership, she has played a crucial role in influencing environmental sustainability.

Prof. Geissen’s research bridges science and policy, helping to develop solutions for sustainable agricultural practices. 

Her core mission is to advance the knowledge and understanding of pollutants on ecosystem health and to contribute to an innovative sustainable agricultural system.  

The keynote speech

At AGRIFOODPLAST, Professor Geissen will explore where we are, what we know, and what we don’t know about agricultural plastics. 

She will ask why regulation falls short and why we need better methods to measure the risks of additives in plastics – and communicate these clearly. She will also question whether the risks outweigh the benefits of agricultural plastics. 

Her attention will then move to biodegradable alternatives, such as starch-based mulch sheeting. What do farmers believe these are made of, and what’s actually in them? Are these being labelled with full transparency? 

Her colleagues, also speaking at the conference, will present real-world research from the MINAGRIS project on the impact of plastics and plastic alternatives on soil. 

AGRIFOODPLAST 2025

AGRIFOODPLAST is an independent research initiative uniting global experts, businesses, and decision-makers working at the crossroads of plastics and food. 

Plastic plays a vital role in food systems, but its use in agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries can result in pollution and potential risks for biota and humans. 

Circularity in the use of food waste and bio waste in agriculture can also up-concentrate microplastics and their chemical additives in agroecosystems and food. 

Plastic has also become central for food storage and packaging, while scientific researchers are still testing the safety of this practice. 

The conference will take place on 8 – 9th of April 2025, Thon Hotel, Rue de la Loi 75, Brussels, Belgium.

Conference themes include: 

• Sources, occurrence and behaviour of plastic pollution from agrosystems (terrestrial agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture). 

• Microplastic, nano-plastics and plastic chemical additives in food. 

• Toxicological and ecotoxicological impacts of plastics in the agrifood chain. 

• Innovation in agriplastic design for environmental sustainability. 

• Holistic, circular and evidence-based approach for sustainable plastic management in agriculture. 

Further reading

A case study of Quzhou county, China, showing agricultural mulch films are an important source of MaPs and MiPs in agricultural soil and distributions are strongly influenced by agricultural management practices and farming systems. 

An analysis of the chemicals leached from microplastics in the soil and their impact on seed germination, which showed that microplastics alone did not stop seed production; rather, it is the chemicals leached from them as the degrade which can affect germination.

A study on the effects of plastic residues on soil organic carbon (SOC), specifically the variations in SOC and soil carbon-enzyme activities at different plant growth stages.