APPENDIX 5
Memorandum from the Crop Protection Association
THE VOLUNTARY
INITIATIVE
In November 2002 the Crop Protection Association
submitted to the Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee
its response (see Annex) to a submission from Friends of the Earth
and PAN-UK on the Voluntary Initiative (VI).[20]
The Association's response to their latest (December
2003) submission is set out below.
Both Friends of the Earth and PAN-UK are members
of the Voluntary Initiative Steering Group. This is the body that
oversees the implementation of the Voluntary Initiative under
the independent chairmanship of Professor Barry Dent. As such
they have had the opportunity to provide input to the decisions
made by the Steering Group on the implementation, monitoring and
reporting of the Initiative.
SUMMARY
The crop protection and farming industries are
highly committed to delivering the environmental objectives of
the Voluntary Initiative.
The first step to achieving these is to change
behaviour—a fact that is reflected in the best practice
indicators for the VI on which good progress is being made.
Progress to date indicates that the Voluntary
Initiative is on course for success.
OBJECTIVES OF
THE VOLUNTARY
INITIATIVE
The overall objective of the Voluntary Initiative
is to minimise the environmental impacts of pesticide use (1).
It aims to achieve this through defining and promoting best practice
in pesticide use. It recognises that decisions need to be made
on a local basis to ensure that pesticides are used only when
needed and that the right product is used in the right place,
at the right time and at the right dose. The approach is not prescriptive.
A programme of research, training and information
provision facilitates this Best Practice approach.
TARGETS
The Steering Group has agreed all the changes
that have been made to the targets. The Minister has asked the
Steering Group to review several targets and this work is currently
being undertaken (2).
THE ROLE
OF THE
ASSURANCE SCHEMES
The Voluntary Initiative is just that—voluntary.
The Boards of the Assurance Schemes decided to incorporate various
aspects of the VI in the Schemes (membership of which is voluntary).
REACHING FARMERS
The Voluntary Initiative has used various means
to get its message across to farmers including media campaigns
and personal contact.
Activity has been higher in the pilot water
catchments because the objective is to try out various techniques
to reduce the amounts of pesticides reaching water. When the most
successful have been identified then these can be used elsewhere.
GOOD PROGRESS
All 27 projects in the Voluntary Initiative
are on track apart from one (indicator farms).
Excellent progress has been made in the three
key actions for farmers
National Register of Sprayer Operators
8,620 operators have now registered, thereby
undertaking to update their training each year through Continual
Professional Development. The target is 15,000 operators by 31
March 2004.
National Sprayer Testing Scheme
2,549 sprayers have been tested to ensure accurate
application and safety to the environment. The target is 5,000
sprayers by 31 March 2004.
Crop Protection Management Plans
More than 365,000 ha are now covered. The target
is 200,000 ha by 31 March 2004.
CROP PROTECTION
MANAGEMENT PLANS
Completing a Crop Protection Management Plan
is the first step in getting farmers to take greater account of
the environment when planning their crop protection activities.
They will then be encouraged to improve their performance in subsequent
years.
REPORTING OF
COSTS
The VI signatories have responded to the Environmental
Audit Committee's request for information on the cost of the Initiative.
The Steering Group agreed the reporting format at its meeting
on 3 April 2003.
DISPOSAL OF
OBSOLETE PESTICIDES
Only a limited number of farmers will have a
problem with stocks of non-approved pesticides in their stores.
It is fair that they should bear the cost of disposal. Those who
manage their crop protection efficiently should not be asked to
subsidise those who do not.
The Voluntary Initiative has sought to minimise
these costs by facilitating a milk-round approach with the waste
disposal companies.
AVAILABILITY OF
INFORMATION
Relevant information is freely available to
the Steering Group and posted on the Voluntary Initiative website
(www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk).
Friends of the Earth was the only Steering Group
member to request the full report of the Cherwell study (work
funded by Aventis (now Bayer CropScience) and completed two years
prior to the VI). The survey on farm waste was placed on the VI
website as soon as it was released by its sponsors.
THE WAY
FORWARD
The VI Steering Group has discussed with the
Government ways in which the Voluntary Initiative can link in
with other activities and policies relating to pesticide use.
Agreement was reached on a number of areas.
In addition the proposed National Pesticide
Strategy includes the Voluntary Initiative as one of the range
of measures relating to pesticides. It states that "The Government
has taken the view that provided the VI is fully implemented,
it should be the most effective way of reducing the environmental
impacts of pesticides and could therefore have an important part
to play within a broader pesticide strategy." (3)
(1) Minimising the Environmental Impacts
of Crop Protection chemicals—revised proposals—February
2001 (Crop Protection Association).
(2) Voluntary Initiative Steering Group
minutes 9 December 2003.
(3) Pesticides Forum paper—Draft National
Pesticides Strategy—PSD—October 2003.
January 2004
20 See Environmental Audit Committee's First Report
of Session 2002-03, Pesticides: the Voluntary Initiative, HC 100,
Ev 35-42. Back
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