Crop Protection and Food Security

Introduction

• Crop protection is vital for ensuring enough food, feed, and fuel.
• Pests cause up to 40% of global crop production loss annually.
• Climate change exacerbates plant pest damage, threatening food security and the environment.
• The world population is projected to reach 8 billion in 2022.
• Rising agricultural input prices are causing concerns about food production costs.
• The Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
• Agriculture is essential to all 17 SDGs.
• Tackling hunger is about boosting food production, increasing incomes, and strengthening markets.
• Nutrition security involves having the right quantity, quality, and diversity of food.
• Agricultural development helps economic growth, being two to four times more effective in raising incomes among the poorest.
• Agriculture is highly vulnerable to climate change; warming could reduce crop yields by over 25%.
• Increased agricultural productivity allows food production while reserving land as natural habitat.
• Investing in rural public goods supports agricultural production and livelihoods.
• Open and fair trade systems improve everyone's situation through trade from surplus production to areas of deficit production.
• Food price volatility can be more problematic than the food price level.
• In 2022, the Philippines had 112.5 million people.
• In 2021, harvested rice area totaled 4.81 million hectares with little increase over 20 years.
• Central Luzon is the only major rice-producing region exceeding 5 metric tons per hectare.
• Most regions have an average rice yield between 3 and 4 metric tons per hectare.
• Yield potential is the yield of a crop variety grown under favorable conditions without limitations.
• Yield potential depends on solar radiation, temperature, and water supply.
• In 2020, top rice-producing regions had a production cost per hectare between P70,000 and P84,000.
• Other regions had production costs between P49,000 and P68,000 per hectare.
• Palay farmers earn very little with the exception of 2014 and 2018 when prices reached P 20/kg dry palay.
• Rice retail prices range from 2 to 3 times the cost of farm gate prices.
• Filipino farmers may struggle to increase productivity due to the population growth, if they don't earn enough or get support for irrigation and farm inputs.
• Crop protection products reduce yield variability due to pests, helping attain potential yields.
• Most agricultural land globally is still farmed conventionally (98.5%).

Pesticides and Agriculture

• Pesticides are substances or mixtures intended to control, prevent, destroy, repel, or mitigate pests.
• Pesticides include insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, nematicides, herbicides, and others.
• "Agrochemicals" or "agricultural chemicals" commonly refers to pesticides under the FPA definition.
• In 1960, the crop protection industry was worth less than $10 billion with 100 active ingredients available.
• In 2018, the industry was valued at over $50 billion, with about 600 active ingredients available globally.
• Pesticides are critical for pest management, agriculture, vector management, and structural pest control.
• In the Philippines, the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) regulates agricultural use of pesticides.
• The Food and Drug Authority regulates pesticide use on livestock and for urban pest control.
• The Bureau of Agricultural and Fishery Standards regulates organic certification and pesticide products of this nature.
• In the Philippines, herbicides are the most imported formulated pesticides followed by fungicides and insecticides.
• In August 2022, there were 2,945 registered pesticide products with fungicides comprising 26%, herbicides 32%, and insecticides 42%.
• There were 299 distinct active ingredients, with fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide each comprising 35%.
• Common pesticide active ingredients include mancozeb, chlorothalonil, glyphosate, 2,4-D, cypermethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin.
• Sufficient volume and choice exist for crop protection use.
• Sumerians used sulfur for insect control about 2500 years ago.
• Chinese used mercury and arsenic to control lice in humans around the same period as ancient Greeks used sulfur as fumigants.
• In 1885, Bordeaux mixture (slaked lime with copper sulphate) was discovered to control downy mildew in grapes.
• In 1939, a Swiss chemist discovered the insecticidal properties of DDT which controlled pests and saved lives during World War II.
• DDT was later found to be persistent and harmful to various organisms.
• Other polychlorinated hydrocarbons and phosphoroorganic insecticides followed.
• Many older pesticides are now banned as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
• Pesticides discovered post-war were not intentionally designed but found by chance.

Discovery and Development Overview

• Modern pesticide research and development is complex.
• Discovery involves identifying a possible molecule, and development considers it as a pesticide active ingredient.
• Discovery aims to create new molecules with improved pest control and enhanced safety.
• This process occurs in highly controlled laboratories and greenhouses.
• Various paths exist for identifying new molecules.
• High Volume Sources provide new molecules for screening.
• Chemistry-Based Discovery identifies new molecules from known molecular starting points.
• Target-Based Discovery relies on biochemical mechanism orientation.
• Candidate molecules undergo chemistry and biological screenings.
• The active ingredient is tested on target pest scope and attributes, including safety requirements.
• Different formulations are tested for crop, beneficial, and non-target safety.
• Any toxicological issue leads to immediate cancellation of work.
• Discovery, development, and registration require investment.
• Pesticide R&D has allowed for around 95% reduction in active ingredient use rate.
• The time to develop a new pesticide product has increased.
• The pesticide industry has a growing sector of biological or biorational pesticides.
• FPA defines biorationals as inherently different from conventional pesticides.
• Biorationals include biochemical pest control agents, microbial pest control agents, and plant-incorporated products (PIPs).
• PIP introduction, like Bt Corn, reduced insecticide use and ensured feed corn production.
• FPA requires registrants to obtain clearance from the National Committee on Biosafety for PIPs.
• Pesticide testing requirements are specified under the FAO 2014 Code of Conduct Article 4.1.
• FPA accredits global discovery and development sites that comply with FPA and other regulators.

Pesticide Product Registration

• The outcome of R&D is rigorous, and only products meeting efficacy and safety are considered for registration.
• Pesticide product registration provides a valid product label and using a product inconsistently with its label is a violation.
• Pesticide registration involves national approval of sale and use after evaluating comprehensive scientific data.
• The registration process ensures product effectiveness and safety.
• FPA has a legal basis for registration in PD 1144 and related rules and regulations.
• Separate registrations are required for each active ingredient and formulation.
• No unregistered pesticide shall be imported, manufactured, sold, transported, or used.
• The purpose of registration is to ensure pesticide products meet standards.
• Standards set by the FPA cover quality, bioefficacy, and safety to handlers, consumers, and the environment.
• Other standards are handling, packaging, labeling, and disposal.
• The system is a stringent evaluation where benefits outweigh risks.
• The FAO suggests that registration should occur where the pesticide is efficacious, does not pose unacceptable risks to human health nor does it compromise agronomic sustainability.
• Registration is denied if the pesticide is not efficacious, poses unacceptable risks, compromises agronomic sustainability, and if alternatives are available.
• Efficacy is assessed, then human health and environmental risks are assessed.
• Sustainability is assessed.
• Alternatives, both pesticide and non-pesticide, are also considered.

FAO's Presupposition

• A positive decision for pesticide registration assumes it is efficacious for the intended use and Good Agricultural Practices are followed.
• The FAO's Pesticide Registration Toolkit describes a four-phase process: pre-registration, registration, post-registration, and review.
• FPA-accredited responsible care officers initiate promotion of responsible care programs or leadership in the education of contracted applicators.
• This applies to all those in front-facing roles i.e. marketing and sales and to those who are involved in the supply chain.
• Any person may file an application for registration of a pesticide in the prescribed form.
• Only local companies registered in the Philippines and licensed by FPA can apply for registration.
• Local companies meet the juridical person requirements as determined by the Philippine Law
• Companies operating in the Philippines under PD 218 are excluded.
• Foreign suppliers are not allowed to register products; the applicant must be the distributor or local subsidiary.
• A separate application is required for each formulated product and source of active ingredient.
• Only one source of active ingredient is applied/approved at a time.
• Data must be submitted and indexed.
• Requirements include a Letter of Intent, Notarized Application Forms, Proposed Product Label, Summary of Data, and information on specifications, toxicology, human exposure, environmental effects, residues, and environmental fate.

Application of Experimental Use Permit

• EUP II and EUP III require the applicant to accomplish and submit forms in duplicate.
• Application for EUPs should be filed six months prior to the experiment or at least three months so that they may be facilitated.
• EUP IIs are for pre-market stage pesticides and require prior approval due to the broader number of individuals potentially exposed.
• EUP IIIs are for registered pesticides that needs testing for label expansion
• Advance review and approval are required if a registered pesticide is tested at a more hazardous level.
• No EUP is needed when testing is lower than the registered does.
• Registrants need to secure an EUP prior to doing bio efficacy and/or residue trials using drones as a method of application.
• EUP issuances follow procedure and evaluation of submissions.
• The nature of the application dictates the type of EUP.
• All trials requiring EUPs should be conducted by FPA-accredited researchers with all the needed precautions.
• EUP requirements apply to seed treatments trails.
• When a product has passed the FPA registration process, it becomes the basis for the Directions for Use (DFUs).
• Pesticide labels provides ready to understand information.
• Labels will include information on content, the directions of its use, the hazard of the pesticide and the signs of poisoning from such exposures.
• Languages used on labels should be in English and FIlipino.
• For packs less than 100mL, only Filipino is needed.
• No label should have innocuous statements of it being safe.
• Labels should enumerate the following as part of its labeling system.
  • Warning
  • Precautions
  • Signs & Symptoms of Poisoning
  • First Aid
  • Note to Physician
• Labels should also include specific antidotes.

Other Information

• Shelf-life of pesticides should be included.

• Batches and lot numbers along with formulations and expiration dates.

• Labels shouold enumerate Mode of Action symbols.

• Warnings about misuse of the product should be well defined on product labeling.

• Statements should be short and clear with simple labelling practices.

• Labels should include dosage, restrictions, reentry interval and limitations.

• Information on reentry, precautions, disposal and use should be included in labeling.

• The Philippine's pesticide industry association has been working to make distribution more responsible from start to finish.

• This has been included in the pesticide labeling.

• Responsibility to care falls upon the FPA, pestacide personnel and all those engaged in sales.

• When a pestacide gets to dealers the management of the pestacide lies upon the regestrant to educate farmers towards its appropriate use.

• A 7 point plan on testing is specified as an annex.

• EUP IA covered the testing of formulations in company research stations composed of coded technical grades and research formulations.

• The table lists the various experimet types and objectivies.