Environmental yardstick for pesticides
As the principal agents in agriculturally related
environmental problems, farmers need indicators which demonstrate the impact of
their actions. With this in mind, CLM has developed the Environmental Yardstick
for Pesticides (EYP). Using the Yardstick, farmers can compare the
environmental effects of their pesticide use, and assess the progress they are
making towards more environmentally sound crop protection.
The Yardstick assigns Environmental Impact Points (EIPs) to
each pesticide in terms of leaching into ground water, acute toxicity to aquatic
organisms and the impact on soil organisms. The more points a pesticide
receives, the greater its impact on the environment. The points are calculated
using computer models describing the emission of pesticides into ground water,
soil and surface water and their biodegradation. The effects on water and soil
organisms are estimated by comparing the exposure concentration with toxicity
data. The EIPs are assigned for a standard dosage of 1 kg/ha. If a different
dosage is used, the number of points should be multiplied by the dosage applied.
'Reward for results'
In areas where ground water is protected,
utility companies supplying drinking water are keen to reward farmers for not
using pesticides, rather than spending large amounts of money removing them from
the water source. 'Reward for Results' means farmers receive financial rewards
for limiting the negative impacts on the environment which can be exerted by
their farming activities. No specific measures are imposed or prohibited, and
farmers themselves choose measures which can produce the largest possible
environmental effect at the lowest possible economic cost. Compared with a
means-oriented policy, Reward for Results' is fairer, more cost effective and
offers greater incentive.
The EYP is used to determine the amount of money that each
farmer has earned from the 'Reward for Results' system. The quality level for
pesticides in the upper ground water is the EU Drinking Water parameter (0.1 µg/litre
for a single pesticide active ingredient and 0.5 µg/litre for all active
ingredients). It is directly related to the EYP (at most 100 EIPs per active
ingredient and 500 EIPs for all active ingredients).
The 'Reward for Results' system, to be funded by the water
companies, has been tested by farmer study groups. Over two years dairy farmers
managed to reduce the number of EIPs for ground water on grassland and arable
land by 95-99%. Arable farmers managed to reduce their score from an average of
5,000 EIPs to 2,300 EIPs: a 54% reduction. Further reductions in the EIP scores
are therefore needed. This will require other policy tools to reduce the EIP
sufficiently to promote sufficient environmental benefit.
The maximum payment a farmer can earn by achieving the
standards of limited pesticide use is 150 guilders (£60) per hectare.
Crop protocols for environmentally sound
products
Consumer concern about the impact of agriculture and
horticulture on the environment has increased over the years. The Dutch
government has responded by defining goals for sustainable agriculture in terms
of targets which require a percentage reduction in the amount of pesticides use.
Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, was one of the
first agri-businesses to address this public concern. In 1989, Albert Heijn,
took on CLM as consultants in order to help develop a strategy for farmers and
growers to minimise their impact on the environment. A step-by-step approach is
being adopted through an annual assessment of crop protocols. This will
establish their feasibility and effectiveness, and they will be adapted, if
necessary, to correspond to changing views and requirements. The contract with
the supermarket provides an extra incentive for the growers to change their
practices.
In 1994, 2,300 ha of horticultural production met the
standards for pesticides which have been set for general adoption by the year
2000. Albert Heijn hopes to ensure that all its suppliers of potatoes,
vegetables, fruit and mushrooms grow their products according to the protocols.
In future imported fruit and vegetables will be included.
Risk reduction through a green label
In the Netherlands, producers, industry and consumers
have agreed goals for sustainable agriculture. A green label certification
scheme called the Milieukeur has been established with the backing
of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries, based on criteria
that offer quality produce upon which farmers and consumers can both agree. At
present two private companies act as certifying agencies that are entirely
separate from the trade and development aspects of the label. The certifiers are
funded by a levy from the growers.
The choice of pesticides used in the Milieukeur scheme
is important because of potential effects on the environment. The growers
therefore have a list of selected environmentally-benign pesticides, which have
been chosen using the EYP. There is also a commitment to reduce by 50% (by
weight) the amount of pesticides used compared with the 1984-1988 average (see
box).
| Usage figures-update Dutch pesticide usage fell by 2.2% in 1995 to 10,923 tonnes. This means usage (by weight) has fallen by 45% compared with the mean annual level between 1984 and 1988. The Dutch multi-year crop protection plan set an interim overall target of a 35% usage reduction on 1984-88 by 1995. The largest reduction has been for soil sterilants, used to control nematodes, which fell by 7% last year, according to Nefyto, the industry association. Fungicide use, on the other hand, rose by 3% during 1995, despite the launch of new low-dose products such as Shirlan (fluazinon) for use on flower bulbs and potatoes. Source: Agrow, No. 262, 16 August 1996. |
Potatoes: The Milieukeur label
will be applied to a range of crops, including cereals (for bread), onions and
open field vegetables. The potato label is at the most advanced stage of
development and evaluation. In 1995, over 100 growers, in co-operation with
trade organisations and the supermarket chain Schuitema, produced 20,000 tonnes
of Milieukeur potatoes. They were grown on 600 ha, which represents 3% of the
total potato area in the Netherlands. By 1996, the figure had risen to 4%.
Milieukeur label growers now apply 70% less total
pesticide use (by weight). This has been achieved by using lower
application volumes. They also use mechanical weeding, and the haulm (green
vegetation) is no longer chemically killed-off. The choice of active ingredients
has also changed. Metalaxyl, a fungicide used to control mildew, used to be the
growers favourite. It is no longer applied because of its effects on the aquatic
environment and its potential to leach into ground water sources. Cymoxanyl-based
products are now used instead.
Conclusion
The Netherlands experience shows that payment for not
using pesticides-'Reward for Results', crop protocols and environmentally
sound products-are policy tools which effectively stimulate the farmer to
chose those environmental measures that are in the interests of
everybody-farmers, consumers, wildlife and the environment.
Jaap de Vries is a researcher and
agronomic advisor for the Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CLM), PO Box
10015, 3505 AA, Utrecht, the Netherlands, Tel. +31 30 2441 301, Fax +31 30 2441
318. CLM is an NGO helping to promote sustainable agriculture in the interests
of the farmer, consumer and the environment. The author acknowledges the
assistance of his colleagues GA Pak, JAWA Reus and ST Buijze.
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 33, September 1996,
page 6]