Points of View
Agrochemicals - sustainable solutions?
Global agricultural productivity has been greatly helped by the pesticides and fertilizers sold to farmers by the world's agrochemical businesses. But the plant science industry has been criticized for not working hard enough to reduce the associated risks to human health and the wider environment. Do farmers need more or fewer pesticides in order to farm the land better? Does profit come before practicality - or environmental safety - when companies push their products? Will striving for sustainable agriculture strengthen or strangle individual companies within the agrochemical industry?
CropLife International is the global federation that represents the plant science industry. The theme chosen for their annual conference in Brussels was The Road to Johannesburg: Challenges to Stewardship and Sustainable Agriculture. In the presence of some of their most outspoken critics, representatives of plant science companies from around the world offered examples of industry initiatives to prove their commitment to stewardship and towards sustainability. Farmer representatives, academics, environmentalists, aid-workers and others were invited to respond.
Points of View reflects some of the issues raised and the opinions expressed.
Do we have a problem with plant sciences and the environment?
"Agriculture is the lynch pin for the development of sustainable society. We believe that science is the engine of development and progress
in society. Agricultural chemicals are some of the most highly regulated substances in the world. Greater regulatory harmony would reduce the cost of
registration and release funds for further research into products that leave an even softer footprint on the environment than those we have on the
market today."
A. Charles Fischer, President and Chief Executive of Dow AgroSciences and President of CropLife International
"Pesticide, agrochemical, life sciences - whatever you call this industry - it's been hard to get good news into the press. I think it's an
industry that doesn't have a problem with what it does but it does have a problem with what the public thinks it does."
Giles Merrit, Forum Europe
"The environmental worry in that sense is really a first world worry. It's a luxury worry. When you don't know where your next meal comes from, you don't give a damn about the environment 50 or 100 years down the line."
"It's an incredibly western discussion. We are basically talking about how much fertilizer should we use, how much pesticide should we use.
But hey! For most of the farmers in the Third World they are ecological but it is because they can't afford to be anything else! They would love to
be able to triple their yields by using pesticides and fertilizers, and only when they get sufficiently rich, then they will start becoming as
concerned as we are today."
Bjorn Lomborg, Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and author of "The Skeptical
Environmentalist"
Plant science industry's role and responsibilities
"Sustainability is good for you - that's agreed by all. The question that is on everyone's lips and minds is how are we going to convert this
concept into an economic, environmental and social reality. To judge if we have achieved it we need to develop some serious performance indicators
for the pesticides industry."
Christian Verschueren, Director General of CropLife International
"Those who apply pesticides have a right to be trained in safe use. If we are promoting sustainable agriculture then we urge that greater
attention should be paid to pesticides."
Yahya Khamis Msangi of the Global Pesticides Project initiated by the International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering,
Tobacco and Allied Workers' Association (IUF)
"Sustainable agriculture and good product stewardship from the pesticide industry are quite different things from our perspective.
Sustainable agriculture would potentially allow the use of pesticides only as last resort after a whole range of other pest management and crop
management systems had been put in place. Product stewardship would involve a 'cradle to grave' approach that ensures that everything from the
manufacturing facilities themselves, maintain the highest health and environmental standards. That pesticides are regulated properly, transported and
marketed in a responsible manner in full adherence with not only national and international legislation, but also voluntary codes, such as the
international code of conduct. And we have to remember that the people who are ultimately using these products are usually the least well-informed,
and the least well-equipped to be able to protect themselves and the environment, and therefore it is down to the industry to make sure that safety
is maintained."
Mark Davis International Project Officer with Pesticide Action Network-UK
"The problems with obsolete pesticide stocks we have now will not happen again. There could be as much as a quarter of a million tonnes of
obsolete materials to deal with. More private purchasing rather than procurement by States and less products being distributed as aid, not to mention
better-designed products and packaging, has improved the situation. Excellent stock management by manufacturers is a commercial necessity."
Chris Waller, Co-ordinating Chairman, Obsolete Stocks Project Team, CropLife International
"What we want to improve is the interaction when the farmer buys a product. So it's not just a question of which product is more efficient,
which one is most cost-effective but so the farmer is also asking, 'Which one comes in a returnable container?' or 'Which comes in a formula that is
easier to handle?'. We've got a long way to go to change the whole market but I'm proud that, on the way, we'll change behaviour."
Claude Gauchat, Executive Director Avcar , National Association for Crop Production and Animal Health, Australia
"If we look at the whole issue of disposal of empty pesticide containers,
in Canada, a good number are sold in 20 litre plastic containers. We don't
want these laying around in ditches or going into landfill where they
will not biodegrade. The industry set about a programme of triple rinse
containers. Farmers can take them to a council or a dealer where the containers
will be picked up to shred them and recycle into useful end products like
fence posts for agriculture or guard rails for the highway. Our aim is
to recover and recycle 100%. We are now at 72%."
Loren Hepworth, President, Croplife Canada
"These examples are interesting but we are only seeing them applied
in wealthier countries of the world. Where they are really needed is in
the poorest countries in the world where the farmer has to burn or bury
containers on a small plot of land where he or she produces their own
food. This is depleting or contaminating their own resources. That's where
these solutions are really needed. If, in regions like Africa , Asia and
Latin America, it is possible to have return system on beer and Coca-Cola
bottles I see no reason why a similar system can't be there for pesticide
containers. Now seeing it implemented in Australia and Canada - that's
great but let's see it implemented where it's really needed."
Mark Davis International Project Officer with Pesticide Action Network-UK
What help do farmers need?
"The main challenge is lack of resources. Whereas some people have so much, others have so little. What we need is a world that has
information, people have information so they can make choices. Currently in Africa, for example, it is because many people do not have information
that there is so much distortion about whether Africa needs technologies or not for sustainability. But we do know that traditional farming methods
have been there for a long time and have not served Africa quite well because we are still having a lot of problems with our populations of hungry
people increasing all the time. So there is a challenge there, in that, if people are provided with the information about these technologies, then
they can be able to integrate within their traditional practices, so that they can raise their yields."
Dr Margaret Karembu representing Africa Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum
"Sustainability means so many different things. In the developing world, where the family farm is of paramount importance, it means food
security and economic growth. In industrialised countries it means animal welfare, the environment and maintaining rural communities. There's no
question that if we want to improve the lives of the poorest in the world we need to direct more resources into agriculture. How can the World Bank
say it is interested in eradicating poverty when only 8% of its expenditure goes to agriculture? We won't get good stewardship of the land while
there is under-investment in agriculture, while farmers are excluded from discussions on sustainability and are denied access to markets."
Kees Blokland, International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP)
"There's no real discussion, at high level, about the effect that shortages of inputs or denial of access to markets has on agriculture in
developing countries. Or the unfairness of subsidies. That the United States has recently declared huge subsidies for its farmers is a huge barrier
to sustainable agriculture: a bigger barrier than other problems farmers face."
Dr Jorgen Schlundt, World Health Organisation
I was pointing mainly to the pesticide industry: they have been the target of public outcry and criticism. I think historically the chemical
industry has taken a very defensive approach. They have not gone out and really tried to understand the criticism. I think I would turn that around
and make it into an opportunity and say, the chemical industry is very closely related to many of the issues that we are talking about today, like
sustainable development, food security, like environmental protection. Given that responsibility, the industry can say, "Well, we are going to
discuss with the stakeholders," to understand the rights of the people, including the rights of the consumers, including the rights of industry
to have products and to make money for them, because that is what they are there in the business for. But I think there is a lack of framework for
the private sector to tackle the social dimension of their work. How do they see the poor of the world? Do they see them just as a market? Or so they
see them as individuals that have certain right that they have to respect? This is the kind of thing that I haven't seen in the industry.
Mario Pareja Technical Advisor to CARE International
Reaching sustainability makes business as well as environmental sense
"Achieving sustainability involves so many people. No one player has the answers especially when it comes to innovations with pesticides or
biotechnology. We have helped the successful introduction of insect resistant maize - developed through biotechnology - in East Africa. The private
sector has the right and the duty to its shareholders to be profitable and there is no trade off in principle between good economic performance and
good corporate citizenship. In fact the private sector can take the lead in reviving dialogue [between farmers and those who provide technology] and
consensus driven action. The need is urgent and the road to sustainability is long."
Therese St Peter, Head of Global Issue Management and External Relations, The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture
"The hard truth about sustainable development is that it takes hard work to achieve. It is owned by all and is not just a UN convention.
There is a growing body of evidence that says improving, social and governance performance leads to better financial returns and minimizes
reputational and business risks."
Rachel Kyte Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman of the World Bank group
"There are myths and fallacies about big businesses and sustainability. Does meeting environmental standards add to costs? No, prevention of
pollution pays. Does being pro-active make you uncompetitive? No, look at the Japanese economy. It's time for a new paradigm: sustainability brings
business opportunity and investment in sustainability brings short and long term financial profitability. In short, sustainability is good for us all
and it makes business sense. The business leaders who realise this will be tomorrow's winners."
Jacquline Aloisus de Larderel, Director Division of Technology, Industry and Economics United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
