FAO and the Global Environment
Design: Maxtudio, Roma/NYC
Persistent Organic Pollutants
Controlling chemicals
As understanding of the health and environmental impacts of pesticides has evolved, countries have taken
action to stop production, import and use of the products considered most harmful. The majority of hazardous
chemicals controlled by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are largely out of
production and widely banned. However, some remain in limited use, legally and illegally.
Residues and contamination from previous use are
widespread, and stockpiles of obsolete chemicals blight
urban and rural landscapes of developing countries and
countries with economies in transition.
Pesticides as pollutants
12 chemicals are controlled by the Stockholm Convention
on POPs, including PCBs, HCB, dioxins, furans and a
number of pesticides, including:
n 8 pesticides – aldrin, chlordane, DDT,
dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex, toxaphene
n 1 pesticide and industrial chemical –
hexachlorobenzene
n 2 additional pesticides under consideration
for banning – chlordecone and lindane
FAO pesticide management mandate
As a GEF Executing Agency with direct access to GEF
resources in the POPs Focal Area, FAO focuses on its
official mandates and areas of proven expertise: agricultural
production and pesticide management. This includes
prevention and management of agricultural pests, safe
distribution, use and disposal of pesticides, and control
of international trade in particularly hazardous pesticides.
FAO’s Plant Protection Service recommends and provides
guidance on integrated pest management (IPM) which
strengthens capacity for crop production while reducing
reliance on chemical pesticides. FAO also provides
guidance and technical assistance on migratory pest control
which historically has been a major reason for stockpiling
pesticides.
Preventing and eliminating POPs stockpiles
The reasons for accumulation of obsolete pesticides range
from poor stock management to pesticides being banned
while they are sitting in storage to unethical purchasing.
Whatever the reason, the facts remain that virtually all
less developed countries have obsolete pesticide stocks,
including significant quantities of POPs pesticides. Most do
not have capacity to deal with hazardous waste safely and,
hence, the problem is often neglected.
FAO Obsolete Pesticides Programme: Since 1994, FAO
has operated this global programme for the prevention and
elimination of obsolete pesticides, developing and assisting
in the implementation of many country projects. Based on
practical field experience, the programme aims to raise
awareness, provide technical advice and produce guidance
on obsolete pesticide prevention and elimination. FAO has
developed and refined training packages and tools for
inventory, risk assessment and risk management. The unit is
developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks and will
offer technical guidance requested by member countries.
A global database of service providers in hazardous waste
management and worker protection is being compiled by
FAO, in partnership with other organizations.
African Stockpiles Programme (ASP): ASP is a major
initiative to remove all obsolete pesticides from the continent
of Africa over a period of 12-15 years while putting in place
measures to prevent recurrence of the problem. FAO has
contributed both funding and technical expertise to the
development of the ASP and is hosting ASP’s Technical
Support Unit. This unit serves as focal point among agencies
for developing strategies, tools, guidance and information
resources related to the management of obsolete pesticides.
The ASP is a partnership of FAO, the World Bank, NEPAD,
the NGOs WWF and Pesticides Action Network (PAN), and
CropLife International representing the private sector. ASP
currently operates in seven African countries with plans to
expand to an additional eight.
FAO and International HCH and Pesticides Association
(IHPA) – FAO is working with IHPA to develop a project to
assist countries in Eastern Europe, Caucuses and Central
Asia in addressing POPs pesticide and obsolete pesticide
stockpiles. These regions have the largest stockpiles in the
world and little action is being taken to address this problem.
FAO and IHPA will provide training in activities that will help
alleviate this health and environmental disaster.
Pesticide Risk Reduction in West Africa
Working for improved management
of pesticides and pests
The FAO Plant Protection Service (AGPP) is concerned
with other aspects of pest and pesticide management that
contribute to the realization of the Stockholm Convention
objectives as well as other international efforts to improve
chemical management.
n
Six West African countries are working together to reduce
agro-chemicals in river systems and wetlands while
improving productivity and profits for local communities.
A regional initiative entitled “Reducing dependence on
POPs and other agro-chemicals in the Senegal and Niger
River basins through integrated production, pest and
pollution management” targets farming communities that
share common water resources in the two principal river
basins in West Africa, offering:
n practical training in improved agricultural methods
aimed at substantially reducing pesticide use, and
n monitoring pesticides in water and evaluating their
impacts on community health and the environment.
A new “passive sampling” technology will be used to
monitor pesticides, while ecological modeling and GIS
tools will track the movement and fate of agro-chemicals
from local to river-basin scales. The combination of
monitoring, models and training will increase local,
national and regional awareness of existing hazards.
Community-level participatory training will raise
production levels while substantially reducing or
eliminating toxic chemical inputs. This regional initiative
addresses concerns in GEF International Waters and
POPs focal areas and is supported by a partnership
of bilateral donors, NGOs, university and research
institutions, UNEP and FAO.
International Code of Conduct on the Distribution
and Use of Pesticides – FAO promotes the Code and
provides technical guidance and support to countries
adopting it.
n Integrated Pest Management – Through it’s IPM
and Farmer Field School activities, FAO helps farmers
produce crops with minimal use of external inputs, such
as pesticides, by increasing their knowledge of local
ecosystems. In many cases, higher or comparable crop
yields have been achieved with no pesticides or with
significantly reduced use, resulting in safer crops, a safer
environment and increased profits for farmers.
n Global Termite Expert Group – Termites remain one of
the few pests still controlled by POPs insecticides. FAO
has assembled an international team to demonstrate
alternative methods of termite control in a range of
ecosystems and is developing a demonstration project to
work simultaneously in six countries.
n Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent
Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade – The Convention
aims to help countries control trade in particularly
hazardous chemicals, including many pesticides, and
is an especially important tool in the management of
pesticides in developing countries. It allows importing
countries to make informed decisions on the basis
of data and experience from other countries where
the chemicals have been used. FAO jointly hosts the
Convention Secretariat.
For further information please visit: Agriculture Department, www.fao.org/ag/AGP/agpp/Default.htm
Or contact: AGPP Obsolete Pesticides Group, [email protected]