Counterfeiting is a dangerous and growing problem for the plant science industry as globalisation spreads. Counterfeiting of plant science products brings to bear a range of negative effects for the industry, farmers, the environment and consumers.
These negative impacts include:
- Risk to human health, the environment and food security due to the absence of stewardship due to the criminal activities of counterfeiters.
- Discouragement to honest local entrepreneurs from investing in legitimate product development.
- Hampering of investment, employment, technology transfer and tax revenues.
- Risk that buyers of export crops will ban imports because of the use of counterfeit pesticides.
- Loss of sales for honest companies and sullying of their reputation when fake products bearing their brand names either cause damage
Ultimately, the effect of counterfeiting is to eliminate the incentive for plant science companies to continue to invest considerable time and money in the development of new technologies that can help assure global food security and alleviate hunger and poverty. Furthermore, the defective nature of counterfeit pesticides and lack of stewardship risks the health and safety of workers, and creates serious environmental hazards.
The plant science industry is committed to innovate and deliver state-of the-art products to the world’s farmers and thereby increase food security and encourage social development. Better scrutiny by police, customs and regulators of the implementation and enforcement of intellectual property rights, and more transparency in the international trade of pesticides and active ingredients is essential to sustain the incentive to innovate and ensure that the products are traded and used in a safe, responsible manner.
CropLife International is a member of the following anti-counterfeiting organisations: