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News Releases Responsibilities and Challenges of Modern Crop Protection 27 April 2007 Despite huge advances made by a sophisticated, science-driven crop protection industry up to 50 per cent of world food production is still lost each year due to weeds, pests and crop diseases. It is this challenge, and new responsibilities facing all those connected with the crop protection industry, that will be the focus of keynote speakers at the opening of the Congress. One of the key questions to be answered at this year's XVI International Plant Protection Congress in Glasgow, frequently asked by consumers, is: 'How safe is our food and who do you trust to provide the answers?'. This issue will be addressed by Professor Tony Hardy of the UK's CSL (Central Science Laboratory), who, through his role as chair of the European Food Safety Authority Scientific Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues, will aim to look at pan-European solutions to food safety issues. With increasingly sophisticated products available to guarantee crop yield and quality, plus concerns raised over GM technology, should food safety concerns be addressed at a European Commission level or on a national basis? UK farmer Simon Browne of Meyrick Estates, Winchester will attempt to bring a 'down to earth' point of view to Congress by looking at the on-farm practicalities of modern day agrochemical application. In a paper entitled: 'Crop protection at the sharp end with a blunt instrument', Mr Browne will discuss the many influences and pressures that affect practical farming today such as water rates, buffer zones, NVZs (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones) and the Water Framework Directive. “This is not a whinge,” he says. “Complaining about things such as the Voluntary Initiative is ridiculous. We have to be proactive in all areas and gear our farms accordingly to cope with additional requirements asked of us as users of crop protection products.” Of course, industry is responsible for providing the tools for use by the farmer and grower and thus has a prime responsibility in supplying safe products to the market. Dr Christian Verschueren, director general of Brussels-based Crop Life International will address the Congress on the progress being made by the industry in providing responsible stewardship for the current range of plant protection products available to growers and how concerns for consumer and environmental safety can be met today and in the future. The XVI International Plant Protection Congress, in association with IAPPS (International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences) and the BCPC (British Crop Production Council) International Congress & Exhibition, takes place from 15-18 October, 2007 in Glasgow. |
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Issued by Kendalls on behalf of BCPC |
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