WWF International has issued the latest in
its series of discussion papers on pesticide reduction-this one focuses on
economic instruments, and is based on a paper written by Peter Beaumont of the
Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK].
Economic instruments have many uses-one use is to ensure
that the non-market costs of pesticides, particularly the costs of pollution,
regulation, and the costs of developing non-chemical methods of pest control,
are fairly shared. Economic instruments can be used to link agricultural and
environmental sectors; to change economic behaviour at farm level; to relate to
clear goals-for example of national sustainability plans or reduction
policies; and to measure environmental performance.
The Report aims to explain in general terms the need for
economic instruments and to illustrate some of the types and examples in use. It
advocates a package including:
administrative charges to recover the full cost of pesticide registration, monitoring and enforcement
taxes on pesticide use
insurance against potential income loss during the transition to alternative pest management
incentives and subsidies for alternative pest management and sustainable agriculture
deposit-return schemes for better environmental management of pesticide containers.
Pesticide Reduction: Economic Instruments. A WWF International Discussion Paper, WWF International, Gland, Switzerland, 1995, 38pp.
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 30,
December 1995, page 16]