Sainsbury perseveres with ICM

The supermarket chain J Sainsbury has achieved good progress in the UK with 88% of all produce grown according to Integrated Crop Management (ICM), that involve improved standards including more judicious use of pesticides. However, the store has achieved little progress overseas due to difficulties in auditing compliance amongst growers. 
    Ian Finlayson of Sainsbury's outlined possible impediments to ICM that require attention at a recent conference on pesticide residues:

• There is a lack of information available to the farmer and grower on the non-target effects of pesticides-specifically on beneficial insects.

• There is also a lack of information upon which to base spray decisions-timing, development of expert systems.

• The high cost of biological controls and other cheaper methods to allow field scale use.

Sainsbury Interim Environmental Report, 1997.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 39, March 1998, page 23 ]