Solutions through Stewardship: Crop Protection Chemicals and Sustainable Agriculture

Globally, agriculture is facing enormous pressure to produce more food for the growing population while water scarcity, land degradation, climate change, and shrinking cultivable area are increasingly becoming realities around the world. Homogeneity of diets in the last 50 years is driving global population become heavily reliant on a few crops chiefly, wheat, maize and soybean.Any shortfalls in a major producing region, can create seismic ripple effects globally and push millions deep into hunger and poverty particularly in Asia and Africa.

As one of the key components in helping agriculture meet the growing food demand, crop protection chemicals globally play a vital role in achieving food security by protecting crops on the fields and in storage. Food loss due to pests and diseases is estimated to be as high as 40-50% but can be reduced to a great extent by using appropriate control methods commonly grouped as IPM (Integrated Pest Management). This includes judicious and responsible use of crop protection chemicals (within IPM) to maximize crop yields and food quality, minimize risks to health and the environment, and manage residues in the produce.

Recent media reports across Asia highlighted the prevalence of excessive chemical residue levels in almost all commonly consumed fruits and vegetables as well as in key export crops including tea and rice.These reports evoked mixed reactions from different groups having diverse interests. Some groups called for stricter regulatory regimes tocontrol banned, counterfeit or illegal pesticides. Unfortunately, those that usually scare the poorly-informed consumers took the opportunity to propose blanket bans. However, a balanced perspective is required considering the contribution of the crop protection industry to agricultural GDP and overall economic growth of the region.

Short-term measures such as improved surveillance, stringent implementation of existing food safety and quality regulations, and adoption of International Code of Conduct on Pesticides Management are needed, along with training of users and others in IPM and responsible pesticide use. While necessary regulations are essential,implementing them effectively on-the-groundis just as important in the long run. Ultimately, it requires agricultural revitalization through promoting investmentsin R&D and infrastructure.  It is also important to forgepartnerships with the private sector for capacitybuilding, technology transfer, and educating farmers on the benefits of good agricultural practices (GAP) to improve productivity and overall efficiency. Ensuring that the food reaching consumers is safe is indeed a shared responsibility of every entity in the food chain.

In crop protection, stewardship is a holistic product life-cycle approach whereby benefits are maximized through responsible and judicious use while risks are minimized through educating the users against indiscriminate and unscrupulous usage.

Spearheading the stewardship responsibility of the industry, CropLife International’s initiatives in Asia and worldwide continue to successfully demonstrate enormous benefits -both tangible and intangible- to farmers, rural societies, Governments, the entire food value chain and consumers.
For example, CropLife International-led efforts like the ‘Safe Tea Initiative’ in Vietnam and IPM trainings in India for Chilli farmers has helped them realize higher net returns with significant savings in input costs. By following necessary intervals between pesticide applications, particularly prior to harvest, their produce were conforming to the Maximum Residue Levels (MRL) for exports.

Through several initiatives in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, CropLife Asia is engaged in hands-on training of farmer and their families on GAP, responsible use and IPM practices. Farmers were able to better identify beneficial insects, understand pesticide labels while purchasing and also wear personal protective equipment while spraying. Other benefits for the farmers and the rural community were eliminating unnecessary use of pesticide, with subsequent cost savings, improved personal health and overall reduction in environmental pollution and public health hazards.

Over the last few decades,CropLife International and its regional organizations have been working with several partners including:

•    Farmers / Producer organizations
•    Agro retailers, Entrepreneurs
•    Food chain partners
•    Certification agencies (e.g. Global GAP)
•    Authorities from nationalagriculture agencies, extension services and the environment
•    International organizations like FAO, UNEP, CGIAR institutes
•    Donors/implementing agencies like GIZ, USAID
•    A wide range of local & global NGOs

Several development agencies, donors, training providers, educational establishments and Government departments across Asia have adopted the resources and materials developed by the CropLife network for training their extension staff who in turn provide training to the farmers.
CropLife Asia continues to strive for synergistic partnerships to promote its vision to advocate a safe and sustainable food supply.

Initiatives like these go a long way in equipping farmers with the necessary knowledge and technological tools needed to meet the increasing food demand as population growth is marching ahead of growth in productivity in key food crops particularly in Asia.

It requiresa strong will, commitment and long-term vision to promote stewardship as a national priority for the agricultural sector. This will not only ensurehealthy, prosperous farmers but also help the region achieve its critical food security goals where malnourishment and hunger are still prevalent.