Effective management of pesticides for sustainable agricultural development

On September 4th, the International CropLife Association, in collaboration with the Plant Protection Department ( Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ), the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), and the CropLife Vietnam Association, organized the 2024 International Conference on Pesticide Packaging Management.

Director of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Huynh Tan Dat speaks at the conference.

This international conference brings together and shares experiences from over 50 leading experts worldwide on packaging management, along with many officials from pesticide management agencies and pesticide associations in Southeast Asian countries.

Accordingly, over three days (September 4-6), the conference revolved around various topics related to the collection and management of pesticide packaging, as well as global trends in managing and supporting these activities, with a focus on discussions in Asia and Vietnam.

The scene at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, Huynh Tan Dat, Director of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that the Department highly appreciates the objectives of this conference, especially in emphasizing the importance of strengthening cooperation and sharing responsibility among all stakeholders to promote sustainable management methods and practices for collecting and disposing of pesticide packaging. This is a crucial link in the entire product lifecycle management of the industry.

“From a management perspective, we also hope that experts at the conference will share more experiences and mechanisms for managing post-use pesticide packaging in other countries so that we can continue to provide guidance and implement appropriate management methods in Vietnam, aiming towards the current goal of sustainable and circular agricultural development,” Mr. Huynh Tan Dat emphasized.

Chairman of CropLife Vietnam, Dang Van Bao, speaks at the conference.

Speaking at the conference, Andrew Ward, International Managing Director of CropLife, said: “CropLife and its member companies have pioneered the implementation of agricultural plastic management by establishing pesticide packaging management systems in over 60 countries. Many of these systems not only handle pesticide packaging but also extend to managing other types of agricultural waste. These systems demonstrate the effectiveness of risk management and create tangible environmental benefits, especially as pesticide containers are recycled into various other plastic products.”

According to Dang Van Bao, Chairman of CropLife Vietnam, over the years, CropLife Vietnam has closely collaborated with the Plant Protection Department and many industry partners to implement pilot models on guiding the safe and effective use of pesticides in key agricultural production areas such as Son La and Dong Thap.

Specifically, by guiding farmers on how to handle packaging after use, establishing collection points, and organizing various packaging collection campaigns, CropLife Vietnam hopes to gradually change farmers' usage habits in a more sustainable way. In addition, CropLife Vietnam is constantly researching to improve pesticide packaging methods, using materials that are safe and suitable for Vietnamese farming conditions.

Currently, EuroCham is actively promoting sustainable practices in Vietnam, including in the agricultural sector. Sustainable agriculture is crucial for food security, environmental protection, and economic growth, therefore EuroCham is ready to cooperate with the government, members, and stakeholders to address challenges in managing agricultural plastic waste.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/quan-ly-hieu-qua-thuoc-bao-ve-thuc-vat-de-phat-trien-nong-nghiep-ben-vung.html