PESTICIDES IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT by: Sim A. Cuyson Paper presented during 38 th Annual Scientific Conference 20-23 March 2007.

PESTICIDES IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

by: Sim A. CuysonPaper presented during38th Annual Scientific Conference20-23 March 2007Bohol Tropics ResortTagbilaran City, Bohol

NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS

• Negative articles > positive by 40:1

• Pesticide risks tend to be overestimated

• People are generally sensitive to health and food issues

We make risk-benefit decisionsthroughout our lives

• Paracetamol is one of the most common analgesic drugs used worldwide. Yet it is three times more toxic than the herbicide glyphosate. We accept the risks of people misusing paracetamol due to the convenience of such easy access to pain relief.

• Caffeine is relatively lethal, yet most people including coffee drinkers are not aware that there is a 50% chance that 15 grams of caffeine would kill a grown up person. There is no warning prescribed on the label.

CHEMICAL ORAL LD50 TO RATS(mg/kg body weight)

Nicotine 50

Caffeine 200

Aspirin 1750

Paracetamol 1205

Table Salt 3000

DDT (Insecticide) 115

Methyl parathion (Insecticide) 6-50

Metamidophos (Insecticide) 10-50

Chlorpyrifos (Insecticide) 100-300

Cypermethrin (Insecticide) 250-4125

TABLE 1– COMPARATIVE TOXICITY OF SOME CHEMICALS

CHEMICAL ORAL LD50 TO RATS(mg/kg body weight)

Niclosamide (Moluscicide) 3552

Glyphosate (Herbicide) >5000

Mancozeb (Fungicide) >5000

Spinosad (Insecticide) >5000

Fenoxaprop (Insecticide) >4400

Cyromazine (Insecticide) >4460

Tebuconazole (Fungicide) 4865

Imidacloprid (Insecticide) >4840

Glufosinate Ammonium (Herbicide)

3570

Tebufenozide (Insecticide) >5000

PRIMARY BENEFITS SECONDARY BENEFITS

AGRIC PRODUCEImproved yields,

Quality,Appearance,safety, and

shelf lifeVibrant Retailer networks

FARMING COMMUNITIESFarm revenues, Nutrition and health,

Food safety and security,Wider range of viable crops,Better quality of life, longer

life expectancy;Labor freed for other tasks

ENERGY NEEDSReduced drudgeryand fuel used for

weeding, andreduced soildisturbance

NATIONALAgricultural economy,

Food safety and security,Export revenues,

Nutrition and health,Human productivity,Reduced soil erosion,

and moisture loss,Fewer moves to cities

PREVENTING PROBLEMS

Reduced pestEpidemics;

Pests contained geographically; Invasive species

controlled

GLOBAL

Assures safe food supply,Diverse produce,Less pressure onuncropped land,

less greenhouse gas,fewer pest introductions,

Biodiversity conserved

Fig.1 – Benefits From The Use of Pesticides To Control Plant Pests (Insects, Diseases, and Weeds) and Vectors of Plant Diseases (Cooper and Dobson, 2006)

Benefits From Control of Crop /Agricultural Pests

• Pests cost developing countries billions of dollars in national income (FAO, 2004)

• Farm and post harvest losses contribute to hunger and malnutrition in many of these countries

The Rice Yield Gap- Production Constraints*

*101 Facts about rice in the Phil. BV Tolentino, et al

Insect Pest & Diseases 35%

Weeds 9%

Poor Water Management 26%

Poor Seed & Seed Management 9%

Improper Fertilizer & Soil Mgt. 21%

Some Major Local Benefits• Weed control in direct

seeded rice• Control of golden apple

snail, an invasive specie• Black Sigatoka control in

cavendish banana• Control of mango insect

pests and diseases• Economic production of

vegetable crops

• Control of corn borers and other pests reduces aflatoxin development

• Herbicides in zero/minimum tillage help reduce soil erosion specially in sloping land.

PRIMARY BENEFITSSECONDARY BENEFITS

Fig. 2 – Benefits From Use Of Pesticides To Control Human and Livestock Disease Vectors and Nuisance Organisms (Cooper and Dobson, 2006)

PEOPLE

Lives saved,suffering reduced,

disturbance reduced

LIVESTOCK

Animals saved,suffering reduced,increased yield, increased quality

PREVENTING PROBLEMS

Reduced diseaseepidemics,Diseases contained

geographically

RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES

Life expectancy,quality of life,

nutrition and health,food safety/security,

individual productivityreduced vet/medicine costs,

livestock revenues

NATIONAL

Rural and urban economy,national productivity,

habitable areas increased,fewer move to cities,

export livestock revenues,tourism revenues

GLOBALInternational markets,reduced internationalspread of diseases,

safe livestock imports,habitable areas increase

Public Health Benefits from Control of Human and Livestock Disease Vectors and Nuisance Organisms

• Malaria kills 5,000 daily worldwide (Ross, 2005); Still present in 60 provinces, most serious in Palawan;Use of insecticide treated mosquito nets

• Dengue mosquitos controlled through localized spraying and fogging

• Nuisance pests such as flies and mosquitos could have severe impact on tourism if not controlled

• Control of vectors of livestock diseases and ectoparasites results in healthy and productive livestock and poultry

Benefits From Control of Structural Pests and Organisms that Harm Other Human Activities

PRIMARY BENEFITS SECONDARY BENEFITS

Fig. 3 – Benefits from use of Pesticides To Prevent or Control Organism That Harm Structures and Other Human Activities

TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

Views unobstructed,Vegetation hazards

Prevented,Roots/damp damage

reduced

RURAL AND URBANCOMMUNITIES

Transport safety,Improved health and fitness,

Improved amenitiesQuality of life

Reduced stress,Reduced maintenance costs

SPORT AND RECREATION

Turf pests controlled,garden and

ornamental pestscontrolled

NATIONAL

Quality of life improved,Pleasant urban areas,

Tourism revenueMaintenance costs reduced

BUILTENVIRONMENT

Wood protected,other materials

protected including paint, plastic, paper, masonry, leather and

adhesives

GLOBAL

Shade trees reduceGlobal warning,

Timber remains a viable building material

• Termite control

• Roach and Rat Control

Benefits from Control of Structural Pests and Organisms that Harm Other Human Activities

• Herbicides used in maintenance of transport systems (roads, railways, waterways)

• Maintenance of sports and recreational grounds, golf courses, and domestic gardens

Concern about food safety (residues) driving the demandNiche marketLower yields, so production highly dependent on premium priceDifficult to assure quantity, quality, appearance, esp. for export marketDoubtful if it can sustain world’s growing population (Oerke, 2004)

Organic agriculture ??

1. Research and development

2. Integrated Crop Management approach incorporating integrated pest management strategies, together with other stakeholders

3. Strict product life cycle approach to Stewardship (Adherence to FAO Code of Conduct, Safe Use, GAP, Storage & Transport, Emergency Response, Environmental Management)

Industry’s Role in Sustainable Agriculture

INITIATIVES OFCROPLIFE MEMBER

COMPANIES

1.BIGAS stands for Bayer CropScience Integrated Environmental Gains Along The Supply Chain For Sustainable Agriculture

RM/PMCrop Protection

ProductsDistributors Farmers Rice Demo Plots

Increased Yields/ROI

Environmental Management System (BS8555)Environmental Performance Indicators

Environmental Management Accounting

ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL ECONOMY

SUPPLIERSFORWARDERS

PACKAGE OFTECHNOLOGY

Legal requirementsCleaner production

Environmental protection

Energy conservation

Resource conservationWater conservation

Waste management3R’s reduce reuse recycle

Etc…

Transport safetyStorage/

Good housekeepingSpill management

Obsolete stocks mgt.Containment/encatchment

Etc….

Emergency responseContainer management

Sustainable Agriculture

Integrated Crop/ PestManagement

Judicious useSafe use

Pre-harvest intervalTriple rinsing of containers

Container disposalWaste Management

straw/rice hullEtc…..

Palay Check

Project Matrix

Clean transport

2.Health and Safety of the Children as a Vital Component of Sustainable Agriculture in Benguet

• Project in partnership with Helen Keller International in Wao and Saguiran, Lanao Del Sur.

• Addressing nutrition problem

• Growing of nutritious crops/fruits

• Nutrition Education

SAGIP-LUPA, a Soil Conservation Project in partnership with UP consultants

Zero/Minimum Tillage system to reduce soil erosion in sloping land

Project sites:

• Banana Plantation in Davao City

• Marginal corn farmers Lantacan Lancare Farmers Association in Bukidnon

• Six sites in Luzon

““Humanity in the 21st century can banish Humanity in the 21st century can banish hunger, end nutritional deficits in children, hunger, end nutritional deficits in children, and save virtually all of the remaining wild and save virtually all of the remaining wild lands in the process. But there are only two lands in the process. But there are only two ways to do it: either murder four billion ways to do it: either murder four billion people, or use chemicals and biotechnology people, or use chemicals and biotechnology to maintain and increase yields on land to maintain and increase yields on land already under farming” already under farming”

Dennis Avery, Director of the Centre for Global Food Issues, Hudson Institute, US, 2000

““If pesticides were abolished, the lives saved If pesticides were abolished, the lives saved would be outnumbered by a factor of around would be outnumbered by a factor of around 1,000 by the lives lost due to poorer diets. 1,000 by the lives lost due to poorer diets. Secondary penalties would be massive Secondary penalties would be massive environmental damage due to the land needs environmental damage due to the land needs of less productive farming, and a financial of less productive farming, and a financial cost of around 20 billion US dollar”cost of around 20 billion US dollar”

Bjorn Lomborg, The Skeptical Environmentalist, Cambridge U. Press, 2000

Global Poverty poses the biggest Global Poverty poses the biggest threat to the environment. We need threat to the environment. We need chemicals to produce food, medicine chemicals to produce food, medicine and shelter. However, we need to look and shelter. However, we need to look for signals for possible adverse effects for signals for possible adverse effects of chemicals in order to mitigate and of chemicals in order to mitigate and manage those potential threats”manage those potential threats”

(Dr. Klaus Topfer, Director General of UNEP, April 2002)

DAGHANG SALAMAT GID!!!