Rome, Italy
December 3, 2007
In a global first, over 300 crop
safety and pesticide management officials and other experts are
meeting this week at FAO to discuss challenges associated with
pesticide use on "speciality crops" like garlic, ginger and
chilies. The event starts today and runs through December 7.
Unlike large-area crops such as corn, wheat, cotton or rice,
specialty crops have traditionally been produced in relatively
small amounts. As a result, studies on the proper use of
pesticides in their cultivation have not been as systematic or
widespread as they have been for major cash crops.
This poses problems for producers, many of them in the
developing world, who are struggling to export their goods to
overseas markets with strong safety standards for imports.
Not a minor issue
International trade in specialty crops is booming, thanks to
increased levels of human migration that have spread
once-regional tastes to all corners of the globe and modern
preservation and transportation techniques that permit retailers
to cater to the tastes of these new consumer markets.
FAO data show that trade in non-traditional agricultural exports
is worth more than US$30 billion a year.
Developing countries have a 56 percent share of that trade.
"For some countries and crops, like green beans in Kenya and
exotic fruits in Malaysia, these 'minor crops' aren't minor at
all -- national economies depend on them," according to Gero
Vaagt, a specialist with FAO's Plant Production and Protection
Division.
Data gaps pose trade barriers
But as import standards aimed at protecting human health become
increasingly strict, producers can run into trouble.
One major problem is that there are gaps at the international
level in terms of registered uses for pesticides on speciality
crops.
Registration is the process through which national authorities
evaluate which pesticides can be used by growers, and how. If a
pesticide is permitted for use on certain crops, maximum residue
limits (MRLs) are set that govern how much pesticide residue a
product can safely contain.
Prior to seeking approval, manufacturers typically conduct
extensive field tests and other studies whose results are used
by regulators when deciding to approve and register a pesticide.
Since this involves a significant financial investment, they
tend to focus on pesticides used on major crops only.
"There is little financial incentive for studies of pesticide
use for minor crops, and as a result accepted MRLs are lacking,
especially at the international level," explained Shivaji
Pandey, Director of FAO's Plant Protection Division.
"This means that when a speciality crop reaches an import market
it can be rejected. The pesticide found on it might have been
properly applied and existing in safe amounts, but because
there's no registered use for it on that crop, it fails the
'zero tolerance' litmus test."
Meeting at FAO a global first
"This week's Minor Use Summit at FAO is really the first global
event on specialty crops and minor uses," said Pandey.
The event includes two days of hands-on training aimed at
spreading knowledge and building the technical expertise of
participants, who are drawn from over 60 countries.
"What we're trying to do is to look at ways to come up with more
harmonized protection measures for these crops that are
efficient, suit the needs of farmers, facilitate trade, ensure
food and environmental safety, and benefit consumers," Mr Pandey
said.
In particular, he added, following the summit FAO hopes to see
more MRLs for pesticides used on specialty crops established at
the international Codex Alimentarious level. Codex is a joint
FAO-World Health Organization body that sets international
standards for food safety, standards which are relied upon by
the World Trade Organization when resolving trade disputes
concerning food safety and consumer protection.
The Minor Use Summit was organized by FAO in partnership with
U.S. Department of Agriculture and its IR-4 Project and with the
United States Environmental Protection Agency.
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