Indonesia: Pesticide registration among ASEAN member states discussed

CABI and partners have discussed ways to better align pesticide registration systems and the harmonization of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for greater food security in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) and CABI facilitated talks with ASEAN member countries in collaboration with CropLife Asia, AgAligned Global, Bryant Christie Inc., and Minor Use Foundation.

Back in March 2023, CABI signed an agreement with USDA-FAS to work in partnership towards greater harmonization and collaboration on regulatory systems in ASEAN member countries.

Greater science-based regulations on pesticide management

This included launching regional cooperation with ASEAN member countries to promote work towards greater risk- and science-based regulations on pesticide management to tackle a range of crop pests and diseases.

There is a shared desire to ensure MRLs on crops are set based on risk- and science-based principles and international standards and facilitate the wider use of biopesticide products to control pests confronting farmers in ASEAN countries.

As part of the four-day engagement in Jakarta, Indonesia, almost 60 representatives from relevant technical and policy authorities attended in person and online with observers from Timor-Leste, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The delegates sought to share experiences in setting import tolerances, harmonizing MRL standards, and promoting biopesticide registration to facilitate trade in the region and with the United States.

The workshop highlighted successes from work the previous year and set future priorities for individual countries within ASEAN and as a regional body aligning with the ASEAN Expert Working Group on harmonization of MRLs (EWG-MRLs).

Next steps for an import MRL pilot program to address existing trade barriers

Participants have now agreed on the next steps to advance an Import MRL Program to address existing trade barriers for US and ASEAN products in their respective markets. Priorities and next steps from the Global Minor Use Summit IV were also discussed leading to agreement on a plan for conducting residue studies for priority crops in the region.

The event launched a new initiative to support policy frameworks for pesticides of minimum risk. There were a series of technical discussions on Pesticide Risk Management, Good Agricultural Practices, MRL setting, and Minimum Risk Pesticides (MRPs).

The workshop also advanced regional discussions on how to utilize the Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework (SPMH) to support ASEAN objectives on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) and the incorporation of lower-risk pest management tools in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Region must follow international food safety standards

In the welcome remarks, Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Economic Community, spoke about ASEAN's growing focus on sustainable agriculture and food safety. ASEAN member countries, now the world's fifth-largest economy, with a GDP of $3.6 trillion, are expected to grow by 4.6% this year, outpacing global trends.

He emphasized that for ASEAN's agricultural products to stay competitive on the global stage, the region must follow international food safety standards, especially when it comes to pesticide regulations.

One of his key points was the need to harmonize pesticide limits (MRL) across ASEAN countries to facilitate trade and improve food security. Singh highlighted the potential of eco-friendly alternatives like biocontrol agents to reduce the environmental impact of traditional chemical pesticides.

He called on governments, businesses, and farmers to work together, stressing that collaboration and innovation are crucial for building a sustainable and resilient future. Mr Singh ended by encouraging everyone involved to actively contribute their ideas and work towards creating a safer, greener, and more competitive agriculture sector in the ASEAN region.

Systems that enhance opportunities for agriculture production and trade

Thao Anh Tran, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN, also took part in the opening of the event. She noted that USDA brings to bear unparalleled technical experience and expertise in supporting ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN member states in developing policies and systems that enhance opportunities for agriculture production and trade.

"Streamlining and harmonizing our respective regulations in these technical areas, governing our food products, helps us achieve the right balance between food safety and food security," she said. "When ASEAN member states, the United States, and other countries around the world work together on food safety at this deeply technical level, we learn from each other, trade with each other, and benefit from each other's expertise."

Jasmine Osinski, the Agricultural Attache from the U.S. Embassy to Indonesia, expressed gratitude for the ASEAN Secretariat's continued support for this important MRL program for almost a decade now.

"USDA-FAS can't do this outreach without its wonderful partners who keep up with these issues daily," she said.

Strong agricultural trade links between the US and ASEAN member states

USDA Agricultural Counselor, Lisa Ahramjian, closed the event thanking the participants for joining the meeting and highlighting the strong agricultural trade links between the US and ASEAN member states. "The USDA FAS office in Jakarta works not only on establishing new contacts and opportunities for trade through business connection but also on supporting the adoption of policies that will help streamline international trade and make it more predictable for all trading partners."

In 2023, the U.S. imported $14.3 billion of agricultural products from ASEAN member countries, including $2.7 billion in fruit, vegetables, juices, and nuts. The U.S. also exported $13 billion of agricultural products to ASEAN member countries – about $1 billion of which came from fruits, vegetables, juices, and nuts.

Dr Sabyan Faris Honey, CABI's Deputy Director of Business Development, said, "Following this engagement, USDA and its partners will work with countries and the region on the technical topics that were identified and prioritized with ASEAN member states for future collaboration."

This includes pesticide and biopesticide registration; risk assessments; MRL setting; import MRLs; physico-chemical data, bioefficacy, residue, toxicology, and environmental safety; Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), and product labelling. It also includes packaging and storage; utilization of foreign data, crop grouping and deferral pathways to lessen regulatory burden; and pesticide risk communication based on globally accepted best practices; among others.