The European Farm to Fork strategy sets two targets to be achieved by 2030: a 50% reduction in the use and risk of chemical pesticides and a 50% reduction in the use of the most hazardous pesticides. To measure progress towards these targets, two indicators have been defined based on the sales of active substances contained in plant protection products and the hazardous properties of these substances. The indicators described represent the European and national trends in progress towards the pesticide reduction goals of the Farm to Fork strategy. In 2022, the use and risk of chemical pesticides showed a 36% decrease at the European level compared to the 2015-2017 baseline period. For Italy, the reduction exceeds the European target, reaching 53%, with a 10 percentage point decrease in the last year. Regarding the use of the most hazardous pesticides, the national decrease in 2022 was faster than the European one, amounting to a 34% reduction compared to the European 25% (relative to the 2015-2017 period).

The indicator describes ammonia (NH₃) emissions into the atmosphere produced by the agricultural sector, mainly due to livestock management and fertilizer use. It enables the assessment of the sector's contribution to total national emissions and the achievement of reduction targets.

In 2022, the agricultural sector was responsible for emitting 317.25 kt of NH₃ into the atmosphere, accounting for 90.4% of total national emissions.

The trend in NH₃ emissions is consistent with the targets set by the Gothenburg Protocol and the National Emission Ceiling Directive (NEC Directive). The national reduction target for 2022 has been achieved.

This indicator reports national scale data on surface area and number of current maritime state concessions for aquaculture as well as the Allocated Zones for Aquaculture (AZA). AZAs are designated by the competent authority as "Priority Areas for Aquaculture", meaning they are free from conflicts with other users and have environmental conditions ensuring sustainable production while minimizing environmental impact.

The identification of new marine zones for aquaculture is one of the key objectives of the Strategic Guidelines for a More Sustainable and Competitive EU Aquaculture for 2021–2030 (COM/2021/236), the national Strategic Aquaculture Plans for 2014–2020 and 2021–2027, and the respective European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Operational Program,  established under Regulations 508/2014/EU and 1139/2021/EU. The process of AZA identification falls under the Maritime Spatial Planning Framework established by Directive 2014/89/EU, transposed into Italian law through the Legislative Decree 201/2016. This framework supports the sustainable growth of maritime economies with a coordinated, integrated, and cross-border approach within Maritime Spatial Management Plans.

The maritime space under Italian jurisdiction, between the coastline and the 12-nautical-mile limit, covers approximately 14 million hectares. Of this space, only 19,722 hectares are occupied by state concessions for aquaculture, of which 93.8% (18,500 ha) is for shellfish farming and only 6.2% (1,222 ha) for marine fish farming. As of December 2022, AZAs have been designated only in Tuscany, Marche, and Emilia-Romagna, covering a total area of approximately 19,500 hectares. Within the AZAs, there are 46 state concessions for shellfish farming and 6 for fish farming.