Denmark - action to reduce use

The Danes have one of the most anti-pesticides stances in Europe. Since 1986, they have introduced a range of pesticide reduction measures that may ultimately result in the whole of agriculture going organic by 2010. Jesper Lund-Larsen reports.

Figure 1.  Tonnes of active ingredients sold in Denmark

Agrochemical sales in 1997 increased by 14.3% to DKr 777 million ($US 115 million) compared with 1996. However, sales have still not recovered to the level of 1995 when DKr 984 million worth of pesticides were sold.
    When measured by weight, the market is declining. In 1997, 3,364 tonnes of pesticides were sold, a decrease from 3,740 tonnes in 1996, and 4,912 tonnes in 1995 (see figure 1).

Key pesticides used
Although generally usage is in decline, there are some notable exceptions with popular pesticides. The use of number one product glyphosate has increased from 606 tonnes in 1995 to 718 tonnes in 1997; whilst isoproturon (with a liability to contaminate drinking water) increased from 347 tonnes to 524 tonnes over the same period (see table 1).  

Cheminova - hazardous production
At home the picture is one of a sound environmental attitude. However, the Cheminova plant (in Arhus) has been heavily criticised because of hazardous methyl parathion exports to Southern countries such as Nicaragua, where the poor occupational practice through lack of resources means dangerous conditions prevail (see also page 11).

Reduction measures
Along with Sweden, the Danish authorities were among the first European countries to initiate a specific plan to reduce the risk from pesticides by adopting a political reduction policy with specific targets. The government's Pesticide Action Plan from 1986 which called for a 50% reduction of sales, by weight, has been achieved (see PN34 p7).

Further action
The Danish public is increasingly concerned with the use of pesticides, and this has led the Danish parliament to take various initiatives in this area, such as setting up advisory committees, and enacting legislation.
    In recent years the government has banned the use of certain pesticides (table 2) and introduced legislation on the limited use of many other pesticides.
    A two-week training course in  pesticide spray techniques has now become compulsory for all employees and for all persons who deliver pesticides for trade purposes.
    The government plans to introduce a total ban on the use of pesticides in private gardens and in public areas. This is already the case in the public forestry sector.

Aiming for 100% organic agriculture
The Danish government is considering converting the whole country to organic by the year 2010. The National Agency of Environmental Protection is overseeing a committee of experts from the research, agronomic, environmental, consumer, union, governmental, food industry and agrochemical sectors. The committee will assess the feasibility of total and partial pesticide phase-out scenarios, as well as the current initiatives for conversion from conventional to organic (ecological) agriculture (see PN37 p9).

Extension of the water monitoring programme
The government has recently agreed to extend the monitoring programme for pesticides in drinking and groundwater. From 1998 these water samples will be examined for 43 different pesticides. The national programme has some catching up to do as many of the Danish county councils and borough councils already carry out analysis covering many more pesticide residues.

Food residues
Random sample analysis is also carried out on Danish and foreign produced food stuff. The checks are carried out by 32 Food Inspection Units under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.
    Levels of residues in food are generally low in Denmark. During 1995, the authorities took 1,242 samples of fruit and vegetables of Danish and foreign origin from consumer outlets and production facilities. Only 12.7% contained residues of which 0.6% were above the threshold limit value [or maximum residue limit (MRL)]. This compares with a European average of about 30-40% of fresh fruit and vegetables containing detectable residues of which about 1-2% are above the MRL. However, the number of samples taken is low when compared with some other European countries.

Genetically modified organisms
As with elsewhere in Europe, there is much debate about genetic engineering. A recent meeting of Nordic trade unions concluded: "No one can say what the long term consequences of genetic engineering will be-therefore we cannot accept genetically engineered food.

Jesper Lund-Larsen is the Environmental Officer at the General Workers' Union in Denmark.

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 41, September 1998, page 20]