Guidelines On Organization And Operation Of Training Schemes And Certification Procedures For Operators Of Pesticide Application Equipment

The guidelines in this document are addressing government officials in plant protection, environmental and other concerned authorities. They consider the training, testing and certification of those who actually operate pesticide application equipment. Even the most well-designed and maintained applicators can do immeasurable damage in the hands of an unskilled operator and the importance of this guideline should not be under-estimated.

The guidelines in this document are addressing government officials in plant protection, environmental and other concerned authorities. They cover the testing and certification of the sprayers currently applying pesticides on commercial farms. The series addresses an urgent need in many countries to ensure that where pesticides are used in crop production, they are applied through equipment, which is safe and fully functional. The issue applies to aircraft, large, field crop and orchard sprayers as well as to operator-carried equipment.

The guidelines in this document outline how governments can influence pesticide safety by controlling the quality of new pesticide application equipment manufactured in or imported into a country. They address government officials in plant protection, environmental and other concerned authorities. By incorporating into national legislation, a requirement for manufacturers and importers to declare that application equipment meets acceptable, international standards of safety and durability, or to set up national or regional testing and certification procedures, it should be possible to gradually reduce and ultimately to eliminate sub-standard application equipment from farms.

This new guidance will complement the technical guidance documents already developed to implement the FAO/WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management. It is developed jointly with WHO. This document is intended to guide pesticide regulators, especially in low- and middle-income countries, for designing and implementing national pesticide licensing schemes, outlining elements, requirements, and options for countries wishing to establish or strengthen their programs for licensing of activities related to the pesticide life cycle.

This second edition of the compendium provides brief description of all the technical guidance documents, manuals, toolkits, databases and other resources for pesticide management developed by FAO and WHO. These resources support the standards outlined in the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management by providing detailed information and guidance on how to manage pesticides at the different stages of their life cycle, i.e. from production to disposal of waste. The resources are principally intended for use by governments in low- and middle-income countries but they may also be useful to other stakeholders. The resources cover both agricultural and public health uses of pesticides. The documents listed in this compendium have been prepared, reviewed and adopted by FAO and WHO expert groups including, since 2007, the FAO/ WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM). The compendium will be updated regularly in the future. Older documents included in the compendium are still considered valid as the issues they address have not changed.

This second edition of the compendium provides a brief description of all the technical guidance documents, manuals, toolkits, databases and other resources for pesticide management developed by FAO and WHO. These resources support the standards outlined in the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management by providing detailed information and guidance on how to manage pesticides at the different stages of their life cycle, i.e. from production to disposal of waste. The resources are principally intended for use by governments in low- and middle-income countries but they may also be useful to other stakeholders. The resources cover both agricultural and public health uses of pesticides. The documents listed in this compendium have been prepared, reviewed and adopted by FAO and WHO expert groups including, since 2007, the FAO/ WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM). The compendium will be updated regularly in the future. Older documents included in the compendium are still considered valid as the issues they address have not changed.

These guidelines are intended to provide guidance on pesticide risk reduction through reduced exposure by effective personal protection with special attention to the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). First, they provide technical information on personal protection and on the selection and use of PPE. Second, in line with the FAO/WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, they address policy issues and recommend measures to improve personal protection and specifically the use and availability of adequate quality and affordable PPE. They are primarily aimed at government authorities in charge of pesticide management and risk reduction, but are also considered useful to public and private sectors such as pesticide industry, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and other relevant entities. More specifically, these guidelines are targeted at stakeholders in low and middle income countries (LMICs) where it is acknowledged that there is limited legislation, compliance and enforcement, and PPE availability. These Guidelines were developed by the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) to provide guidance on provisions in the Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management that are related to personal protection of pesticide users. They are meant to enhance current national legislation and regulations on personal protection and personal protective equipment (PPE) or where there is none, to provide guidance. They reflect the FAO/WHO joint approach on pesticide management, thus addressing personal protection of both agricultural and public health operators/applicators, the latter being engaged in using insecticides for vector control.

In this fascinating book, Graham Matthews takes the reader through the history of the development and use of chemicals for control of pests, weeds, and vectors of disease. Prior to 1900 only a few chemicals had been employed as pesticides but in the early 1940s, as the Second World War raged, the insecticide DDT and the herbicide 2-4-D were developed. These changed everything. Since then, farmers have been using a growing list of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides to protect their crops. Their use has undoubtedly led to significant gains in agricultural production and reduction in disease transmission, but also to major problems: health concerns for both users of pesticides and the general public, the emergence of resistance in pest populations, and environmental problems. The book examines the development of legislation designed to control and restrict the use of pesticides, the emergence of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the use of biological control agents as part of policy to protect the environment and encourage the sustainable use of pesticides. Finally, the use of new technologies in pest control are discussed including the use of genetic modification, targeted pesticide application and use of drones, alongside basic requirements for IPM such as crop rotations, close seasons and adoption of plant varieties with resistance to pests and diseases.