CropLife supports the establishment and enforcement of an appropriate regulatory environment with regard to the storage, transport and distribution of crop protection products. Voluntary stewardship initiatives complement this regulatory regime and the activities in countries are tailored to the local needs. Training programmes for retailers are actively supported.

As part of the overall risk management regime, CropLife supports the establishment and enforcement of an appropriate regulatory environment with regard to the storage, transport and distribution of crop protection products.

Voluntary stewardship initiatives complement this regulatory regime and the activities in countries are tailored to the local needs.

Crop protection products need to be handled safely to ensure protection of the environment and safety of workers. In addition, the provision of misleading or inadequate information during distribution and marketing may also pose a risk to the environment and human health by allowing these products to be used in inappropriate ways. CropLife’s leading companies have in place guidelines and standards for the storage and transport of crop protection products.  These are sometimes complemented by national or regional association guidelines that aim to assist companies meet legislative requirements or put in place beyond just complying with regulatory standards.

In the case of storage, these guidelines and standards address, for example:

• the location of warehousing facilities away from houses, schools and shopping areas
• facilities for easy loading and loading together with access for emergency vehicles
• non-combustible and heat resistant construction materials
• flooring that is impervious to liquids.

For transport, guidelines cover the preparation, loading and unloading of the goods, and their subsequent carriage. It is vital that there is effective planning and management of all of these functions if the possibility of an accident taking place is to be minimised.

Additionally, in the event of any accident, instruction and emergency plans are in place to rapidly address the incident directly, or advise those that are dealing with it.

Retailers are important players in the distribution chain.  They are often the main source of information and advice to farmers on when to use crop protection products and how they should be handled and used.  CropLife International, its member associations and leading companies provide training and guidelines for retailers, and support certification schemes for those selling crop protection products.  In Egypt, for example, CropLife Egypt provides retailer training that leads to government certification; all retailers must be certified before they can sell crop protection products.

Areas covered in retailer training programmes include handling and storage of products, integrated pest management and responsible use and container management.  Also the dangers of handling illegal and counterfeit products – which not only can be ineffective, but dangerous to human health and the environment – are highlighted.