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FEATURE


“We really want to help farmers understand that these conditions are necessary to do a good job and to safeguard health and the environment,” said Jean-Charles.


Achieving common goals in diverse countries with distinct approaches to agriculture is a challenge to say the least. That’s why, when the SUI is implemented in a new territory, local stakeholders are involved as much as possible.


Jean-Charles commented: “That means the farmers’ representative, the official advisers in that country, the local government – either health or agriculture – are brought together to be sure that we co-develop a programme which is tailor-made to adapt our overall recommendations to the specific requirements of a given country.”


“WE REALLY WANT TO HELP FARMERS UNDERSTAND THAT THESE CONDITIONS ARE NECESSARY TO DO A GOOD JOB AND TO SAFEGUARD HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT.”


Local partnerships are central to the success of the ECPA’s programme of training and education. In Spain, for example, the national Spanish crop protection association AEPLA joined forces with AVA-ASAJA, the association of farmers in Valencia, to deliver the SUI’s key messages to farmers in the region. Alongside seminars and communication via magazines and newsletters, the partners implemented good practices when managing pesticides at an experimental farm, which is a model example for farmers visiting the facility.


In Greece, the Hellenic Crop Protection Association (HCPA) worked with the government’s Benaki Phytopathological Institute (BPI) to introduce the Safe Use Initiative in 2006. Together, the organisations undertook a field study on skin exposure to pesticide applicators to establish the effectiveness of coveralls. The research garnered


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scientific data that was later published and opened the door for development of a custom protective coverall specifically for use in Greece.


Another reason for the success of the ECPA’s programme is that its goals are in line with the objective of EU Directive 2009/128/EC. The directive sets standards for EU member states to decrease the impact of pesticides on people’s health and the environment. Jean-Charles explaines that ECPA members and EU member states are increasingly supportive of the SUI since it helps fulfil the obligations laid down by the directive.


ECPA’s Sustainable Use Initiative is not currently running in the UK because similar projects were already underway, especially in the field of communicating with the public. Jean- Charles highlighted the work of the Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) organisation in particular:


“LEAF is a group of farmers who organise open weekends when they invite adults, children and policymakers to visit farms so the farmers themselves can explain why and how they use pesticides. This is contributing to an exchange of information and views on the use of pesticides, which we hope will improve the image of crop protection products.”


The goals of the SUI are sound but is it working? ECPA measures its success using a variety of benchmarks – from how many farmers receive training to how many empty containers are properly handled. One survey in the lerapetra region of Greece showed the proportion of growers who wore protective gear grew from 35% in 2005 to 88% in 2008.


As with many safety issues, education is a key component to ensure people are protected from harm when pesticides are used. It’s a farming method that seems to be here to stay for the foreseeable future, so it’s up to trade organisations such as the ECPA to make sure it is adopted in the best way possible – for the environment, the public and the farmers.


www.ecpa.eu


“WITH GLOBAL WARMING, FARMERS ARE FACING MORE PESTS AND MORE DISEASE – TODAY, BIOLOGICAL CONTROL IS NOT ENOUGH.”


www.tomorrowshs.com


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