Multilateral Working Group Will Strengthen Pesticides Regulation

During the annual meeting of the North American Technical Working Group on Pesticides (TWG), the governments of Mexico, the US and Canada committed to strengthening regulations on pesticides for agricultural use.

Amada Vélez, General Director of Food Safety, Aquaculture and Fisheries, the National Service of Health, Food Safety and Quality (SENASICA) said North America needs an efficient and science-based pesticide registration system. Moreover, she highlighted that collaboration between SENASICA, the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is essential to achieve this. “Trilateral cooperation is fundamental since the decision taken by one party can affect the other two, derived from the strong trade of agricultural products between them,” said Vélez.

Edward Messina, Director, EPA, and Fredéric Bissonnette, Director, PMRA, agreed that joint work for the evaluation and registration of pesticides must prioritize health, safety and the environment as well as develop effective technology that benefits farmers. Furthermore, they emphasized that climate change is a global challenge, so agriculture must adapt to an uncertain future.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) stressed that in Mexico, regulatory authorities, exporters, producers in the agricultural sector and industry representatives have expressed great interest in strengthening regulations for agricultural pesticides to ensure that farmers have the necessary inputs and can protect their crops.

The members of TWG said they aim to promote more efficient use of water and soil to protect natural resources and assure that people can access safe, healthy produce. Finally, they agreed that emerging technology such as the use of drones is an important ally for the correct management of pesticides.