Sustainable Farming: Take a closer look at Crop Protection. Friedhelm Schmider

Transcription

1 Sustainable Farming: Take a closer look at Crop Protection Friedhelm Schmider 1 Director F Schmider, General 2006 ECPA

2 It won t be the multimedia or the information superhighway, nor entertainment or sporting achievements which will determine our route into the 21 st century, it will be the fundamental question: How will we feed nine billion people in the near future? - Lester Brown, President of the Worldwatch Institute 2

3 Origins of Sustainability First documented use in 1713, nachhaltig, with regard to German forestry. Now in German, it s known as nachhaltigkeit. Brought about by depletion of German forests due to mining and agriculture. Forest planning helped restore the balance of wildlife as well as ensuring a sustainable production of forest resources. 3

4 Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture is simultaneously Environmentally sound: minimises environmental impact Economically viable: ensures competitiveness and survival of agricultural holdings Socially responsible: satisfies increasing demands for high-quality food at affordable prices 4

5 Crop Protection in Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Agricultural Production Sustainable Crop Production Other sustainable approaches (such as animal husbandry) Sustainable Use of Crop Protection Products Other sustainable approaches (such as crop nutrition) 5

6 What is crop protection? Crop protection products often referred to as pesticides are the treatments used to protect crops and keep them healthy. Crop protection combines innovative science and technology to protect farmers crops from the many dangerous pests and diseases that threaten the quality and safety of our food. Threats to health Fungi In humans... Mycotoxins,... On plants... Rust, mildew,... Pests Mosquitos,... Plant lice, aphids,... Diseases Flu,hepatitis... Plant jaundice... 6

7 Crop protection is necessary to Safeguard yields Make work easier Ensure quality Protect natural habitats 7

8 Key Components of the Sustainable Use of Crop Protection Products Product life cycle Safe and efficient Crop Protection Products Container and obsolete product management Research & Development Authorisation, Registration Product use in a sustainable way Safe and responsible use Advice for farmers Education, Training & Certification Storage 8

9 Crop Protection Stringent Rules Development & Registration Rigorous approval process for Crop Protection Products Directive 91/414/EEC based on sound scientific principles of risk assessment, providing the highest possible level of protection More than 100 specific tests to ensure the safety of the products covering human health and environmental impact Developing a new AI including registration takes an average of 9 years at a cost of 200 million Euro Need to protect Intellectual Property Rights Need for Data Protection Need for a stable, predictable, efficient and streamlined Registration System 9

10 Crop Protection Current Situation Revision of the Directive - Data Protection Market value of Active Substances (classed by main uses) Number of List 1, 2 & 3 Active Substances in EU-25 Value ( m) Cereals Maize Fruit & Veg Sugarbeet Rape Multi use Other - Non crop TOTAL > 100m m < 20m TOTAL Many products for use on Fruit &Vegetables have low value and high registration costs! 10

11 Crop protection has a long history Known testing for crop protection techniques goes back at least 10,000 years Europe began pioneering agriculture experiment stations in the 1800s One of the biggest challenges facing agricultural research has been how to control harmful pests and diseases Some examples from history: Potato blight, a fungus, led to total failure of Irish potato crop in 1846 led to death by starvation of 1.5 million people and massive emigration to US Rise of grapevine powdery mildew in France in 1854 wiped out 75% of the country s wine production 11

12 Crop protection secures yields Barley Wheat Soybeans Corn Coffee Potatoes 100% = theoretically attainable yield Rice Cotton With crop protection F Schmider, Without 2006 crop protection

13 Why Crop Protection? Crop Protection Products protect both our food supply and our health by preventing harmful pests and diseases. By helping farmers grow consistently high yields of fresh produce, Crop Protection Products help keep the cost of fresh produce down. This ensures that everyone, regardless of their income, can afford a wide variety of foods. 13

14 Why Crop Protection? Sustainable agricultural practices including Crop Protection can contribute to the protection of biodiversity by contributing to the minimisation of land use. There is a gap between the public perception of Crop Protection Products and the reality of their contribution to a food chain that is sustainable, affordable and free of dangerous pests and diseases. The Crop Protection Industry and policy makers can work together to close this gap. 14

15 Why Crop Protection? The world population continues to grow in billions Year BC 4000 BC 15

16 Why Crop Protection? bn people 4 bn ha without agrochemistry bn people 7.1 bn ha without agrochemistry 13.0 bn ha Global surface 4.3 bn ha Desert, glaciers, mountains 3.4 bn ha Forest, grassland 1.5 bn ha with agrochemistry 3.4 bn ha 1.5 bn ha Pasture, prairie Arable land, Permanent Crops 16

17 Safe Food and Crop Protection - a multi-stakeholder Approach Other food chain Stakeholders Governments & Administration Farmers & Growers Crop Protection Industry Advisors 17

18 We must work together to achieve the sustainable agriculture we all want! Thank you for your attention. 18

19 1 ppm Uncertainty is inevitable Queen Mary II Mass: 150,000 Tons The Captain Mass: 150 Kg 150 Kg / 150,000 Tons = 1 ppm 19

20 1 ppb Uncertainty is inevitable Queen Mary II Mass: 150,000 Tons The Captain s Hat Mass: 150 g 150 g / 150,000 Tons = 1 ppb 20