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- Croplife International, along with its regional and national associations and leading companies have promoted programmes providing training in responsible and safe use for more than 15 years.
- Training is given in the context of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy.
- A participatory approach has been adopted, with an emphasis on training-of-trainers and working in partnership with other stakeholders.
- A number of guidelines and web-based training materials have been produced.
- CropLife International supports programmes that typically train around 100,000 individuals each year, around 10% of whom are trainers. Companies train many more.
- Messages in responsible and safe use of crop protection products reach many millions each year through various media campaigns
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The Plant Science Industry is committed to promoting practices that encourage the responsible, safe and efficient use of its products. This is undertaken within the context of promoting an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy, and forms an important part of the industry's life-cycle approach to product stewardship.
Safe Use
There is a long history of industry-funded activities supporting the responsible use of crop protection products throughout the world. These formed a base for the launch in 1991 of CropLife International’s Safe Use Initiative - three pilot projects to provide training and education for all users and handlers of crop protection products. These projects were originally established in Guatemala, Kenya and Thailand, but have now been expanded over three phases to include many countries in the regions; details of the programme are given under 'Safe Use Initiative' below. Currently, safe use activities are being carried out by National Associations in more than 70 countries, often in partnership with other stakeholders.
Pilot Projects
The idea of the pilot projects was conceived in light of the importance that industry put on the International Code of Conduct for the Distribution and Use of Pesticides. The plant science industry hoped that key stakeholders in the global food chain would welcome the projects and appreciate their value.
This indeed has become a reality with many national and international organisations, government agencies, donors, aid agencies, NGOs etc., lending their support in many different forms. Since their establishment, all three projects operate in a transparent and open fashion, involving local people, particularly farmers.
Safe Use Initiative - Goals and Objectives
The overall objectives of the three Safe Use projects are
- to effect sustainable change in the culture of the people such that there is a significant and measurable improvement in meeting the latest international safety standards
- to draw attention to the need for joint action by the public and private sectors
- to act as pilot programmes to stimulate other organisations to develop similar initiatives in other regions/countries.
Safe Use Initiative - Making Progress On The Ground
Progress in the projects falls into distinct phases:
- Phase I (Implementation) 1991-1994
- Phase II (Extension) 1995-1997
- Phase III (Sustainability) 1998-2000
The activities are summarised below. The programmes have been reviewed and lessons learnt incorporated into further training programmes.
Guatemala
The base-line audit in Guatemala revealed particular weaknesses in safety at farmer and retailer level. Whilst training and education have remained the core activities, the team initially focused on critical areas within the country, namely small vegetable growers. Similar programmes are now in place in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela.
Highlights from Guatemala programme include:
- project receiving strong, active support from the Ministries of Agriculture, Health and Education
- local government extension officers participating and committed to project
- children's "Scarecrow programme" successful
- retailers receiving accreditation certification
- universities participating in training and having multiplier effect.
Further information on safe use projects and other activities in Latin America, can be viewed on CropLife Latin America's Website
Kenya
The audit revealed that Kenya was the least safe country. The objectives were of necessity ambitious:
- to improve standards in formulation plants
- to train and accredit industry sales personnel
- to improve registration legislation and enforcement
- to train farmers, horticultural exporters and retailers
- to set up an accreditation scheme for retailers
- to establish poison information and treatment centres
- to improve labelling and the effectiveness of pictograms
- to educate school children on the potential hazards.
More farmers and retailers have now been trained and the relationship with government, media, NGOs and local industry has continued to blossom. Demand from horticultural exporters for training/retraining is now widespread because the project is seen as the best way to satisfy customers that "Good Agriculture Practices" are being followed. The Project is spreading to other countries, albeit at a slower rate than in the other two regions. Highlights from Kenya include:
- radio series which became the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation's most successful programme in its 40 year history
- strong support from Kenyan Government and National Industry Association
- Kenyan women designed their own protective clothing
- primary schools using plays and songs to get safety messages through
- largest single mass-training project ever put into effect on the African continent
- horticultural exporters involved in SUP Training Programmes
- major improvement in product labeling and legislation enforcement achieved
- distributor accreditation in place and sales representatives registration scheme operational
Further information on safe use projects and other activities in Africa and the Middle East can be viewed on CropLife Africa Middle East’s Website
Thailand
The survey in Thailand identified particular problems in the re-use of empty containers and a need for considerable improvement in the premises of local formulators and retailers. Project objectives were defined as follows:
- to lessen the number and severity of crop protection product incidents and to instil an ethic of safe use of these products among all stakeholders
- to promote a positive perception of the crop protection industry by demonstrating its concern and actions to promote correct and responsible use of its products.
Many other countries in the Asia Pacific Region have well established safe use initiatives driven by the national trade association or companies. Highlights from Thailand include:
- farmer training methods have improved steadily over the years
- retailer training is recognised by senior Thai government officials as the best way to provide farmers with repeat messages on safety
- the Thai Crop Protection Association developed an industry standards checklist for structure, location, storage, package, labelling, employee safety, transportation and disposal
- successful standard raising AAA (Award, Accreditation, Advice) scheme
- by bringing together government officials and foreign expertise, the project demonstrated its ability to aid technology transfer to the benefit of the environment, growers and crop protection product buyers
- strong support from the Royal Thai government; Bright colourful and entertaining comics and notebooks for school children put over a serious message in an interesting way.
Further information on safe use projects and other activities in Asia Pacific can be viewed on CropLife Asia's Website
Publications on the three Safe Use Projects are available from CropLife International.
Responsible use of crop protection products – Current activities
Training activities in approximately 30 countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America are supported by CropLife International each year. Typically, around 100,000 individuals receive training each year and, significantly, of these around 10% will go on to train others. Although national associations determine the training requirements in their countries, there is global guidance to place emphasis on training-of-trainer programmes.
Training in responsible use is not confined to developing countries. Recognising problems that were occurring in the high-intensity vegetable growing in greenhouses in southern Europe, CropLife’s European association, ECPA, initiated a Safe Use programme in Spain in 2002. This in now being expanded to Greece and Portugal. In the USA training and certification of users of crop protection products is carried out by government agencies and universities. This approach is supported by CropLife America as part of its overall promotion of product stewardship.
Training programmes emphasise a participatory approach, which leads to behavioural change, and partnership with other stakeholders to increase impact and outreach. These programmes are supported by a number of training guidelines, including a web-based programme, aglearn.net, with freely downloadable material. Additionally, many millions of people receive responsible and safe use messages through media such as television and radio programmes, newspaper and magazines. These include innovations such as farming ‘soap operas.’
Responsible use of crop protection products - The Future
The responsible and effective use of crop protection products continues to be an issue that is extremely important to the industry. CropLife International will continue to support safe use activities, within the framework of an Integrated Pest Management strategy. We recognise, however, that it is not possible for one group alone to reach all farmers and stakeholders and that training and extension programmes need to be undertaken in partnership with others and be aimed at achieving sustainable changes in behaviour. Collaboration with governments and their agencies, national and international organisations, NGOs, donor agencies, the agricultural distribution chain, to name but a few, is vital to the future successes in improving impact and outreach.