Pesticides – A Changing Landscape that Demands Close Monitoring

Pesticides by their very nature tend to be toxic. Insecticides control pests by poisoning them using a number of different modes of action. In some cases that toxicity is extended to non-target organisms, including humans, due to shared biology, e.g. organophosphates inhibit acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme required for the metabolism of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, found in most animals. Therefore it is essential that there are a set of rules in place regarding what active substance (a.s.) can be used as well as the manner of that use. Not only do the Regulations protect the consumer, they also protect the workers within the agricultural industries and the wider environment. The regulatory pressures on conventional chemistry have given rise to alternative, low-toxicity products previously considered too expensive or niche. Many of these technologies have come through the research pipelines of smaller companies and even academic departments. In the absence of chemical options, these novel products are slowly becoming more mainstream and represent the fastest growing sector in seed treatments. On 16th February 2017 the European Parliament voted in favour of submitting a proposal to amend to Regulation (EC) 1107/2009 by enabling a fast-track evaluation, approval and authorisation process for low-risk pesticides of biological origin before the end of 2018. Meanwhile, the agrochemical industry has refocused its efforts to bring new, safer products to market. Hopefully, as consumers, we will all benefit in the long term, but the watchword for the industry is "vigilance".