Agcarm members want to ensure that their products are safe for:
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People;
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Animals;
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The environment
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Those in the industry who use, transport and sell products.
In New Zealand, products defined as agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines must, before they can be sold, be approved by two government agencies: the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and the Environmental Risk Management Authority.
Pesticides are among the most thoroughly tested chemicals. Before a pesticide can be marketed, regulatory authorities must be satisfied that it poses no unacceptable risks to human health. This is achieved through rigorous testing of products to gauge their impact on humans and the environment, and assess their efficacy.
In addition to the statutory requirements of registration and risk assessment, the plant science industry is a signatory to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides, and implements a global product stewardship programme.
We aim to make pesticide application inherently safer through the training and education of farmers, growers, suppliers, and other parties. The long-term, sustainable modification of behavior towards safer and more efficient use of crop protection products is a major goal of Agcarm and its international partners.
Long-held misconceptions about the impact of pesticide use on human health still remain, despite a widespread realisation that risks to human safety are carefully controlled and monitored by government authorities around the world. Particular concern has long been expressed over chemicals that persist (i.e. take a long time to break down) or bio-accumulate (i.e. build up as residues in the body). Comprehensive regulatory procedures and frequent review mean such chemicals are no longer used to make pesticides. Modern pesticides are designed to degrade and disappear quickly after use.
The plant science industry fully supports strong regulation and is committed to continuous development of improved products.
Agcarm is also focused on the promotion of a proportionate, efficient regulatory framework while guaranteeing the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines.
Because many animal health products are used on animals that enter the food chain, it is important that the impact of these products is thoroughly tested before they are approved for sale.
