Two US approaches to
IPM
The US Consumers Union (CU), which has
a history of concern about pesticides, has published a strategic overview
of pesticides in the US Pest Management at the Crossroads. Although
science and regulation have improved greatly over the past forty years,
the result in terms of risk has been ‘running hard just to stay in the
same place.’ Newer pesticide molecules have replaced the more
environmentally hazardous organochlorines, but the development of pest
resistance and increasing concerns about longer-term human and
environmental health issues have accompanied these changes. The solution
that is advocated is to accelerate progress towards ‘biointensive’ IPM.
CU estimates that
sales of pesticides in the US would decline by about half from the current
levels of $US10.4 billion per year, and sales of safer biopesticides would
grow to half the current pesticide market by the year 2020. The total
public health risk from pesticides would decline by 75% of current
values.
This would be achieved firstly
by changing the infrastructure that supports pesticide use—changing public
and private research priorities and making more information available on
successful IPM initiatives. Secondly, government programmes would be
redesigned to promote IPM rather than pesticide use, including changing
fiscal incentives and subsidies which encourage pesticide use. Thirdly,
consumers would be offered more choice in the market place. Fourthly, the
procurement policies of governments and corporations would change
direction to support biointensive IPM. And finally, regulatory policies
would support faster track registration of safer products.
A complete contrast in style is provided by
the 1997 Insect Control Guide, a US publication in directory
format. It begins with a series of articles on IPM topics—including
benefits and costs, managing resistance, pheromones, conservation of
natural enemies and scouting—together with insecticides and the
environment and regulatory issues.
Each
chapter contains a section on current trends in control—both chemical and
biological—advice on pest scouting, and detailed ‘use reminders’ about
issues such as resistance, reduced-tillage and rotations, and finally a
detailed listing of each US approved insecticide.
The Guide provides excellent information for
pesticide users and those who want to minimise their use of pesticides—the
practical equivalent of the Consumers Union policy guide. It also clearly
reflects the current strategy of agrochemical corporations—a thiodicarb
insecticide is advertised as being compatible with IPM programmes, and
Bollguard cotton, which contains the gene to produce the Bacillus
thuringiensis insect toxin, is also advertised as supporting
IPM.
Charles M. Benbrook, with Edward
Groth, Jean Halloran, Michael Hansen and Sandra Marquardt, Pest Management
at the Crossroads, Consumers Union, 101 Truman Ave, Yonkers, New York,
10703, US, 1996, 272pp.
1997 Insect Control Guide, Meister Publishing
Co., Willoughby, Illinois, 1996, 442pp.
Sustainable agriculture
challenge
Recent approaches to agricultural
production and food security have failed to reduce the absolute numbers of
the food insecure or to ensure environmental sustainability. But the views
on how to improve global food security vary greatly and tend to focus
solely on increasing food production. There are five contrasting schools
of thought: the environmental pessimists; the business-as-usual optimists;
the industrialised world to the rescue lobby; the new modernists, and
those who advocate sustainable intensification.
Sustainable intensification of agriculture
is known to offer significant opportunities. In this IIED Gatekeeper
Series publication, Sustainable Agriculture: Impacts on food production
and challenges for food security, data on some 63 sustainable
agriculture projects have been drawn together for the first time. Analysis
of these projects indicates that at least 1.1 million farmers in rain-fed
areas have made the transition to sustainable agriculture. A further 0.79
million ha of irrigated rice farmers have substantially cut pesticide use
whilst increasing yields by about 10%. Sustainable agriculture therefore
provides the opportunity to increase food production, reduce dependency on
external resources, and reduce environmental degradation.
The paper concludes by prioritising seven
immediate investments needed for enhancing productivity and environmental
sustainability; and seven more investments needed for ensuring that these
help support entitlements for food security.
Jules Pretty, John Thompson, Fiona
Hinchcliffe, Sustainable Agriculture: Impacts on food production and
challenges for food security, Gatekeeper Series No. 60, International
Institute for Environment and Development, 3 Endsleigh Street, London,
WC1H 0DD, UK, Tel. +44 (0)171 388 2117, Fax +44 (0)171 388 2826, 1996, 27pp.
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Know your
risks
Understanding Risk addresses a
central dilemma of coping with risk in a democracy in which detailed
scientific and technical information is essential for decision-making, but
where the people who make and live with those decisions are not
scientists. The key task of characterising risk is to provide useful and
appropriate information to decision makers and the public. This volume,
produced by the National Research Council in the US, illustrates that
making risk understandable to the public involves much more than
translation of scientific information. The book offers clear guidelines
and principles for informing the wide variety of decisions about risks to
human health and safety and the quality of the environment.
Traditional definitions
of risk are reviewed, and new concepts and practical approaches are
addressed. The book defines the role of analysis and deliberation—among
scientists, public officials, and the interested and affected parties—in
understanding risk.
Understanding Risk: Informing
decisions in a democratic society, National Research Council (US),
National Academy Press, 12 Hid’s Copse Road, Cumnor Hill, Oxford OX2 9JJ,
UK, September 1996, 249pp.
Exploiting natural
pesticides
This reference book published by
the Royal Society of Chemistry, describes natural-based compounds that
have been found to control agricultural pests, and identifies those areas
that show potential within the crop protection industry. Crop
Protection Agents From Nature examines chemicals derived from
bacteria, fungi, algae, higher plants and animals. It evaluates their
biological effects and wherever possible, identifies their modes of
action. At present only 3.9% of ‘pesticide’ active ingredients are based
on natural chemicals (if synthetic pyrethroids are included the figure
rises to 8.4%) and a further 3.9% are represented as biological systems.
This book discusses opportunities for commercial exploitation of
naturally-based pesticides and lists the regulatory requirements (which
are more costly than conventional pesticides).
One perhaps surprise warning suggests that
natural compounds may not necessarily be any better in terms of
environmental toxicology than synthetic crop protection
chemicals.
Crop Protection Agents From Nature: Natural products and analogues, Ed. Leonard Copping, Royal Society of Chemistry, Turpin Distribution Services Ltd., Blackhorse Road, Letchworth, Herts SG6 1HN, UK, Tel. +44 (0)1462 672 555, Fax +44 (0)1462 480 947, 1996, 605pp. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Water
conference
Seven papers that were presented
at a one-day conference on water are included in these proceedings. The
most interesting is by Andrée Carter and reviews pesticides in water
sources in Europe. It makes two important points. Firstly, few European
countries have national strategies for monitoring pesticides in water
sources—and there is also a lack of central co-ordination and guidance
from the EU to enable monitoring data to determine the impact of
environmental and agricultural policy. Secondly there is a need clearly to
define the objective of water sampling. Determining impacts of pesticides
on drinking water quality requires a different monitoring strategy from
determining impacts on non-target organisms.
An Update on the Pesticides in Water Issue, Proceedings of Conference, 25 September 1996, IBC Technical Services, Gilmora House, 57/61 Mortimer Street, London, W1N 8JX, UK.
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Fundamental
toxicology
This book produced by the
Royal Society of Chemistry is a good introductory and reference text to
toxicology. It covers developing areas such as reproduction,
behavioural and ecological toxicology. Although aimed at chemistry
students and lecturers, it should have a wider appeal for those with a
serious interest in the health effects of pesticides. It has an extensive
glossary of terms which is particularly useful.
John Duffus and Howard Worth (Eds.), Fundamental Toxicology for Chemists, Royal Society of Chemistry, Turpin Distribution Services, Blackhorse Road, Letchworth, Herts, SG6 1HN, UK, 1996, 327pp. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
UK annual
incidents
The Health and Safety Executive
(HSE) deals with complaints about pesticides, including risks to the
health and safety of people at work, to members of the public who may be
affected, and risks to the environment. It does not cover sheep dips.
HSE’s annual report, now published in a new format, deals with the twelve
months up to the end of March 1996. A total of 169 incidents were
investigated, of which 82 alleged ill-health.
None of these incidents was ‘confirmed’ by
the investigations of the Pesticide Incidents Appraisal Panel (PIAP),
although 32 are still awaiting a decision. Eight were regarded as
‘likely’. Over three-quarters of those affected in 1994-95 and 1995-96
suffered ‘mild’ symptoms. Nearly all the remainder suffered ‘moderate’
symptoms. The most significant pesticide group was OPs (12%) of all active
ingredients.
There were 12 incidents heard by the
courts, as against 31 in 1994-95. Some 286 enforcement notices were issued
by inspectors, as against 346 in 1994-95. The average fines imposed by the
courts on a finding of guilt rose from £435 in 1994-95 to £533.
Pesticide Incidents Report 1995-96. HSE, Agriculture and Wood Section, The Pearson Building, 55 Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 6AU, 22pp.
Costly industrialised
agriculture
The Soil Association has set up
a major research project Counting the Costs which will look into the costs
of modern food production systems in the UK. As part of this programme,
Industrial Agriculture: counting the costs examines a number of
case studies—BSE, nitrates and pesticides in drinking water, soil erosion
and farm wastes.
The
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food estimate that about £1.2
billion of public money will be spent in 1996/97 on the BSE problem. The
estimated cost of regulating and removing pesticides from UK drinking
water is £121 million per year.
The Counting the Cost project is supported by Compassion in
World Farming, Council for the Protection of Rural England, Friends of the
Earth, National Trust, Royal Society for Protection of Birds, the Wildlife
Trust and WWF (UK).
Industrial Agriculture: counting the
costs, Soil Association, Bristol House, 40
- 56 Victoria Street, Bristol
BS1 6BY, UK,
September 1996, 8pp.
UK bird
poisonings
Two reports from the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds highlight the use of pesticides in
killing birds. There were 27 incidents where pesticides caused death in
birds of prey. Alphachloralose was involved in 13 incidents, mevinphos in
4, carbofuran in 3, and diazinon, malathion, phosdrin, bendiocarb and
disulfaton one each. In 19 cases of non-bird of prey poisonings,
alphachloralose, mevinphos and fonofos were involved.
Angus Nurse, Persecution. A review of
bird of prey persecution in the UK in 1995, Compiled by for RSPB
Investigations Section, The Lodge, Sandy, Beds, SG19 2DL, UK, May 1996,
22pp.
Angus Nurse, Birdcrime ’95. Offences against wild bird
legislation 1995. Compiled by for RSPB Investigations Section, September
1996, 30pp.
Sainsbury’s environmental
report
The large UK food retailer,
Sainsbury’s, has produced its first comprehensive Environmental Report,
and this includes information on crop production. It sells 53% of produce
under Integrated Crop Management Systems (ICMS)—representing 74% of
produce sourced from the UK and 31% of overseas produce. The aim is to
increase this to 73% of all produce by the end of 1996/97 - 88% of UK
produce and 57% of overseas produce.
It is not clear what ICMS means other than
current best practice; and, as the report candidly states “ICMS crop
protocols are verified by a system of self-auditing by Sainsbury’s
technologists. We accept the criticism that they are not verified by
independent auditors."
The report also
confirms that targeted pesticide surveillance is practised to monitor the
safety and quality of products sold.
We
welcome the steps that Sainsbury has taken, and hope that they will now
take the public into their confidence by explaining more what ICMS means,
and by publishing residue monitoring results. The introduction of the
Chairman, David Sainsbury, strikes a realistic note: ‘"We see this report
not as a public demonstration of our achievements, but as an announcement
of the issues that we as a company intend to address, and the work that
will be required."
1996 Environment Report. J. Sainsbury plc, London.
Carcinogenic carbaryl
Restrictions on the carbamate insecticide carbaryl came into force
in 1995 (see PN 30 p4). The Committee on Carcinogenicity reported that it
would be prudent to consider carbaryl as a potential human carcinogen. It
also advised that it would be prudent to avoid detectable residues of
carbaryl in food but that monitoring data appeared to show that residues
in food were undetectable or very low compared with doses showing
carcinogenic effects in animals.
The Advisory Committee on Pesticides has now
published the two evaluation documents setting out the evidence prepared
by HSE (non-agricultural uses) and PSD (agricultural uses).
Disclosure Document on MAFF approved
uses of carbaryl, Evaluation document 155, MAFF Pesticides Safety
Directorate, York, 85pp.
Carbaryl - Review of its use in public hygiene
and amateur insecticides. Evaluation document 156, Health and Safety
Executive, Pesticide Registration Section, Bootle, 27pp.
UK good
practice
The new joint BCPC/ATB Landbase
publication is a nicely produced ring binder containing extracts from the
existing MAFF/HSE Code of Good Practice for the Safe Use of Pesticides on
Farms and Holdings. However a new draft of the Code is about to go out for
public consultation. It contains much additional information that would
improve spraying practice, that will not be in the current publication.
Using Pesticides: A complete guide to
safe, effective spraying, British Council for Crop Protection/ATB
Landbase, BCPC, Publications Sales, Bear Farm, Binfield, Bracknell, Berks,
RG42 5QE, UK, November 1996, 155pp.
OECD risk
reduction
The Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Pesticide Forum conducted a survey
of pesticide risk reduction in 1994-95. This led to a joint OECD/FAO
Workshop in Sweden in October 1995 (see PN 30 p14, OECD Pesticide
Reduction). The responses of 20 OECD countries together with the European
Commission, and the responses of eight non-OECD FAO countries, have now
been published in two companion volumes. The responses are grouped around
the headings of reducing risks and reducing use and provide detailed
information on how individual countries are arriving at common goals
through different routes.
Activities to Reduce Pesticide Risks
in OECD and Selected FAO Countries, Part I - Summary Report, Environmental
Health and Safety Publications Series on Pesticides No. 4, 1996,
94pp.
Part II - Survey Responses, Environmental Health and Safety
Publications Series on Pesticides No. 5, 1996, 518pp, Both published by
Economic Directorate, OECD, 2 rue André Pascal, 75775, Paris.
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Food
chemists’ directory
Who’s Who in Food
Chemistry contains information on more than 1,000 European food chemists,
including their fields of interest and areas of specialisation. The most
common areas of interest listed are, biotechnology, contaminants
(including pesticides), food technology and quality assurance. This
comprehensive directory includes the details of chemists from sectors such
as the food industry, research and development institutions,
consultancies, private laboratories and university departments.
Reto Battaglia, Werner Pfannhauser,
Michael Murkovic (Eds.), Who’s Who in Food Chemistry Europe, Springer
Verlag, 241pp.
NGO
biotech directory
This directory provides
basic biographies of over 200 non-governmental organisations (national,
regional and/or international) working on biotechnology-related issues.
Public interest groups started monitoring the developments of the
biotechnology industry in the late 1970s. The number of NGOs analysing the
potential social and ecological impacts of genetic engineering and other
new techniques has dramatically increased since then.
Non-governmental Organisations and
Biotechnology: a directory, First Edition, CASIN, 11A, Avenue de la Paix,
1202, Geneva, Switzerland, March 1996, 277pp.
Pesticides in Europe
This annual
conference provides an update on the progress of pesticide registration,
including adjuvants and the problems of pesticide use on minor crops, and
a review of Eastern European legislation.
Registration of Agrochemicals in
Europe, Proceedings of the Conference, 26-27 September 1996, IBC Technical
Services, Gilmora House, 57/61 Mortimer Street, London, W1N 8JX, UK.
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 34,
December 1996, pages 22-23]