The crop protection industry collaborates with farmers, food traders and the wider food industry to encourage the safe and sustainable use of crop protection products. Initiatives such as these aim to raise standards of agricultural production and reflect the industry’s commitment, together with other partners in the food chain.

Collaboration starts with the farmer

Crop protection products, when they are used, need to be used sensibly and sustainably. This is the guiding principle that has driven the industry’s work with farmers for years. It has never been more important to recognise that the farmer plays a crucial role in the European food chain, not least because farmers have long been underestimated as agents of agricultural, environmental and economic change. The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), together with its member companies, national associations and other stakeholders, is working hard to redress the balance. The first step is to recognise that sustainable use does pose challenges for farmers and that farmers need guidance, training and support in meeting those challenges.

Sustainable use is a demanding process and the industry appreciates the efforts that farmers make to use crop protection products sustainably. Sustainable use demands that farmers be trained to the highest professional standards in crop protection practice. Although these demands are not negligible, they are also beneficial to farmers. Farmers trained to use crop protection products sustainably can be assured that they are not only meeting their legal obligations, but also protecting their own health as product users, respecting the environment in which they farm, and being a responsible steward of the countryside.

In short, farmers who use crop protection products safely and sustainably produce food in an environmentally sound, economically viable and socially responsible way. In so doing, they safeguard the environment, improve the profitability of their farms and deliver the safe, high-quality food that people want.

Collaboration also means teamwork