European Crop Protection Association

Transcription

1 European Crop Protection Association How to contribute to Food and Sanitary Safety Dr Friedhelm Schmider, Director General ECPA ELO Conference April

2 Food and Sanitary Safety and Crop Protection A conflict? Why Crop Protection? Crop Protection Stringent Rules Industry Initiatives Conclusions 2

3 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. 3

4 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. 4

5 Why Crop Protection? The world population continues to grow in billions Year BC 4000 BC 5

6 Why Crop Protection? bn people 4 bn ha without agrochemistry bn people 7.1 bn ha without agrochemistry 13.0 bn ha 3.4 bn ha Global surface 4.3 bn ha Desert, glaciers, mountains Forest, grassland 1.5 bn ha with agrochemistry 3.4 bn ha 1.5 bn ha Pasture, prairie Arable land, Permanent Crops 6

7 Crop Protection Stringent Rules Authorisation & Registration Sustainable Use of Crop Protection Products MRLs & Food Law 7

8 Crop Protection Stringent Rules Authorisation & 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 8

9 Crop Protection Stringent Rules Revision of the Directive - Data Protection Market value of Active Substances (classed by main uses) Value 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! 9

10 Crop Protection Stringent Rules Review programme - Current position for List 1 & 2 N a.i.s In Out Pending Deadline new years?

11 Crop Protection Stringent Rules Sustainable Use of Crop Protection Products Many existing rules and measures (training, storage, transport, label instructions) for the actual handling and use of Crop Protection Products Mainly national legislation Envisaged Thematic strategy Ensuring further improvement by defining harmonised requirements, increasing standards and covering any eventual gap Covering the actual use phase of the product 11

12 Crop Protection - Stringent Rules Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and Residues The Crop Protection Industry understands consumer concerns about food safety Crop Protection Products are only placed on the market, if the residue levels they may leave in food are deemed to be safe for all consumers, whatever age or gender The Crop Protection Industry collaborates with farmers and other partners in the food chain in initiatives to further improve agricultural practices. Annual EU monitoring confirms that low levels of residues in food are safe to the consumer 12

13 Crop Protection Stringent Rules Results of the 2002 national monitoring programmes compared to previous years 13

14 CP Industry Initiatives Industry Initiatives R & D, towards more environmentally friendly products Safe Use Projects (Spain, Greece Portugal, France, Italy) Spray Drift Reduction Project Container Management Guidelines Training initiatives (Country level) TOPPs Project (Train the Operator to Prevent Point sources) Provision of expertise and support for integrated farming Initiatives and schemes to improve crop protection practices 14

15 Crop Protection Lifecycle Approach Research & Development Container and obsolete product management Authorisation, Registration Education, Training & Certification Transport Storage Safe and efficient Crop Protection Products & Product use in a sustainable way Safe and responsible use Advice for farmers 15

16 Safe Food and Crop Protection a multi-stakeholder Approach Other food chain Stakeholders Governments & Administration Farmers & Growers Crop Protection Industry Advisors 16

17 Thank You! 17