Page 17 - Vol.40-No.4 issue

CROP PROTECTION CROP PROTECTION

Plant health Commission. ment Goal 2 (SDG2) without Breaching the 1.5°C PURSELL BIODEGRADABLE COATING
Threshold“. One of the domains of action identi-
The CPM is the governing body of the Inter-
governing body national Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), !ed in the Roadmap is the protection of crops PAVES WAY FOR SUSTAINABLE
meets on further convening annually to assess the global state using integrated pest management to reduce FERTILIZER INNOVATION
reliance on chemical products. The FAO Direc-
of plant health and review progress towards
measures to curb achieving the Convention’s objectives. In 2023, tor-General underlined the important contribu- Pursell has !led a non-provisional patent with the U.S. Patent and not require growers to change their standard growing practices and
tion made to the FAO initiatives by CPM’s work
IPPC welcomed the Federal Republic of Somalia
pests and diseases as the 185th contracting party to the multilat- on managing the impact of climate change on Trademark O"ce (USPTO) to protect Intellectual Property related will help them achieve:
eral treaty. plant health. to its biodegradable coating components and application process. t *ODSFBTFE QMBOU BOE TPJM IFBMUI
Assessing climate change impact Plant health: a critical component The company is currently in end-stage research and development
of One Health
on plant pests Among the topics on the agenda at this of a novel coating technology that will enable commercialization of t )JHIFS ZJFMET BOE DSPQ RVBMJUZ
Changing weather patterns and rising tem- week’s CPM meeting will be positioning IPPC controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) products meeting European Union t 4VCTUBOUJBM TVTUBJOBCJMJUZ CFOFöUT UISPVHI NJOJNJ[BUJPO PG
peratures across the world have changed the within the One Health approach, which brings (EU) biodegradability standards. nutrient leaching into waterways, GHG emissions and volatilization
geographic distribution and intensity of plant together international organizations working Pursell’s patented, lower-temperature coating process enables the
pests and diseases. This makes the work of the on plant, animal and human health. incorporation and survival of best-in-breed biostimulants and mi- “Ultimately, nature provided the key to unlocking the possibility of
CPM in facilitating international cooperation The IPPC ePhyto Solution has proven that safe crobes. This unique capability allows Pursell to deliver a biodegrad- biodegradable controlled-release fertilizers,” said Brady. “Our coating
The FAO Commission on Phytosanitary Mea- and information exchange on early detection, trade can be expedited through digital phytos- able CRF product with nutrient uptake, and a biostimulant package, technology will allow us to introduce a simple-to-use, single-source
sures (CPM), a key body aimed at curbing the rapid response, and coordinated control e"orts anitary certi!cation. By December 2023, more tailored to a crop’s speci!c needs. product that o#ers meaningful bene!ts to farmers and the public.”
risks posed by plant pests and diseases that indispensable, Qu underlined. than !ve million (5 000 000) ePhyto certi!cates “Our current coating technology utilizes an extremely thin mem- “Our research has shown that the use of controlled-release fertil-
threaten agriculture and livelihoods and dam- The IPPC is working together with FAO to were successfully exchanged by 88 active user brane, which already decreases the amount of polyurethane used in
age our ecosystems, convened today to discuss help banana-producing countries combat TR4. countries, while the total number of registered the process. This biodegradable technology, coupled with biostimu- izers is an e#ective approach to improve nutrient use e"ciency and
further measures to stop their spread. The IPPC Secretariat coordinates the global ef- countries has increased to 128. lant inclusion, has the potential to be a true game-changer for both reduce environmental pollutants,” said Dr. Upendra Singh, IFDC Vice
“The consequences of unchecked pest and forts to prevent the entry and spread of TR4. In Although there is a strong global focus on Pursell and the fertilizer industry at large,” said Joe Brady, Pursell CFO President, Research. “We are currently performing degradation tests
disease outbreaks are far-reaching and can in- addition to raising awareness on TR4 and con- food safety and animal health standards to en- on Pursell’s biodegradable coating technology and are excited about
#ict irreversible damage on ecosystems, trade, ducting simulation exercises in various coun- sure food security, “we must remember that it and Sustainability Initiatives Lead. “When introduced, our bioforti- the additional soil health bene!ts it may o#er.”
and the global food supply,” QU Dongyu, Di- tries, IPPC has produced a guide to e"ectively all starts with plant health standards,” the FAO !ed, biodegradable CRF products will o#er the broad bene!ts of our
rector-General of the Food and Agriculture Or- prevent, prepare for, and manage TR4. Director-General said, describing them as the current products, without any of the potential e#ects of non-biode- Initial biodegradable product !eld trials are being conducted this
ganization of the United Nations (FAO), said in At the COP28, FAO launched the “Global “guard rails” against the impact of plant pests gradable coatings.” spring in university and industry grower trials in the Midwest, South-
his opening address to the 18th Session of the Roadmap for Achieving Sustainable Develop- and diseases. Circle 17 on enquiry card Application of Pursell bioforti!ed, biodegradable CRF products will east and Canada, targeting corn production. Circle 19 on enquiry card
10-year initiative systems reduce the antimicrobials on farms Root causes by increasing agricultural support in emergencies

The Food and Agriculture Organization of ing to help reduce the need for antimicrobials provements in livestock management prac-
the United Nations announced the launch of in livestock production, prioritizing animal tices, with the transition to a semi-closed The Global Report on Food Crises whatever resources are available, a better
a new action-oriented, country-focused initia- health and welfare, mitigating environmen- cage system. This has had a positive impact should serve as a wake-up call, and en- balance needs to be struck between tradi-
tive to reduce the need for antimicrobials on tal impact, and enhancing food security and on biosecurity practices and e"orts to reduce sure that we don’t neglect the provision tional humanitarian assistance and funding
farms, amid the growing threat posed by An- nutrition thus, helping to achieve the 2030 antimicrobial use. However, antibiotic pro- of agricultural aid in emergency situa-
timicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the food and Agenda and its Sustainable Development grams for chicks are still being carried out due tions, QU Dongyu, Director-General of for agricultural support.
agriculture sector, impacting terrestrial and Goals. to concerns about the quality of chicks and the Food and Agriculture Organization of Agricultural aid is humanitarian aid. At the
aquatic animal health, plants and the environ- Working together with governments, farm- farmer discipline regarding biosecurity. the United Nations (FAO) said during the same time, investing in agriculture is part of
ment and causing signi!cant economic losses ers, private sector and civil society organiza- Actionable steps
to farmers across the globe. tions and other actors, it will promote the “5 presentation of the joint report today. e#orts to consider long-term, sustainable,
“The persistent use of antimicrobials in Gs” at the farm level: Good Health Services, This week’s meeting in Chongqing will The report shows that food crises are and innovative solutions that address the
livestock production is concerning for human Good Production Practices, Good Alterna- aim to agree on actionable steps and con- becoming increasingly protracted and root causes of food insecurity.
health, animal welfare, and environmental sus- tives, Good Connections, and Good Incen- crete commitments on RENOFARM in the underscored the risk that “hard-won de- restart food production at scale is often the Positive steps in the right direction are
tainability,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu tives, the FAO Director-General said. run up to the 2024 United Nations General velopment gains are being reversed” most cost-e#ective way to assure that food
said in a video message announcing the FAO’s goal is to implement the initiative in Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR tak- as food insecurity and malnutrition be- reaches the greatest number of people in being made, including FAO’s own Hand-in-
launch of the initiative Reduce the Need for An- more than 100 countries in alignment with its ing place in September in New York and the come a “new normal” in the aftermath of hard-to-reach areas. Hand Initiative, the Word Bank’s Food Securi-
timicrobials on Farms for Sustainable Agrifood partners under the Quadripartite One Health Francis/Desktop/Final RENOFARM PR draft 2a the COVID-19 pandemic, Qu said. ty and Nutrition Preparedness Plans, and the
Systems Transformation (RENOFARM). approach - the World Health Organization pwm.fmdocx_The%20Fourth%20Global%20 Examples of that shift in perspective can International Monetary Fund’s new !nancing
“We must explore innovative pathways to (WHO), the UN Environment Programme High%2Dlevel,%2C%20livestock%2C%20 The report found that 282 million people be found in the Sudan, where FAO provided facility to provide rapid-response funding in
curb the use of antimicrobials and promote sus- (UNEP), and the World Organisation for Ani- and%20crop%20production." 4th High-Level in 59 countries and territories in 2023 need- crop seeds to one million farming families, shock-driven food crises before high levels of
tainable practices that safeguard public health mal Health (WOAH). Ministerial Conference on AMR to be held in ed urgent action to reduce food consump- enabling a cereals harvest that met the
and our planet's well-being, while improving Indonesia pilot November 2024 in Saudi Arabia. tion gap, and 36 million people are in in IPC needs of at least 13 million people, and in Af- acute food insecurity are reached.
livestock productivity,” he told the International RENOFARM is already being piloted in the At the end of September, FAO will also host Phase 4, de!ned as Emergency, for which ur- ghanistan, where a notable increase in fund- Second, as noted, targeting supports for
Symposium on Pathways to Reduce the Need poultry sector in Indonesia’s Lampung prov- the !rst-ever Global Conference on Animal gent action is required to save lives and live- ing for emergency agricultural interventions agricultural sectors in crisis situations can
for Antimicrobials to Support Sustainable Live- ince with the support of government agen- Health Innovation, Reference Centres and lihoods. Alarmingly, 36 countries have fea- has contributed to an 11 percent decrease
stock Transformation in Chongqing. cies and other local stakeholders. Other pilots Vaccines. Its aim will be to share insights, ex- tured in this report for the past eight years, in rural food insecurity in that country since help reduce eventual emergency distribu-
Organized in collaboration with the are underway in Uganda and Nigeria. change experiences and identify concrete ac- highlighting the di"culty of restoring food 2022,. tion needs.
Rongchang District, Chongqing City, Chongq- In Indonesia, Farmers Field School (FFS), tions to improve animal health, combat anti- insecurity once its absence becomes acute. All too often, just a fraction of humanitar- Thirdly, the focus must be on the root
ing Academy of Animal Sciences, National focusing on empowering farmers at the com- microbial resistance and promote sustainable FAO’s Director-General focused on that ian aid for crises is allocated to protect agri- causes of food crises.
Center of Technological Innovation for Pigs, munity level, is being set up under the project livestock transformation. cultural livelihoods, even though the major-
and with the support from the Ministry of Ag- to build farmers’ capacity and awareness on Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global as showcasing how agricultural assistance, ity of those facing acute food insecurity live Such an approach can also help transform
riculture and Rural A"airs of China, the event AMR control, with training materials updated threat to humans, animals, plants, and the envi- often deemed a slower-acting approach, in rural areas. the world’s agrifood systems to be more ef-
gathered more than 200 experts from China based on local experience and best prac- ronment. Reducing the need for antimicrobials should be scaled up in crisis situations.
and across the globe. tices, 20 facilitators trained and the concepts and limiting the emergence of resistant patho- Qu urged going beyond necessary direct Three priorities !cient ,more inclusive, more resilience and
Policy support trialed with around 20 local poultry farmers. gens is critical to maintaining the world's ability distributions to !nd more sustainable solu- FAO’s Director-General $agged three pri- more sustainable and to pursue the Four
The RENOFARM initiative aims to provide A focus group discussion held as part of the to treat human, animal and plant diseases, re- tions, in order to go beyond meeting human- orities to guide a rethinking of how to tackle Betters - better production, better nutrition,
countries with policy support, technical assis- initiative showed that broiler chicken farms duce food safety and security risks and protect itarian needs and reduce them. Providing food crises. a better environment, and a better life, leav-
tance, capacity building, and knowledge shar- in Lampung Province have experienced im- the environment. Circle 18 on enquiry card seeds, tools and livestock and the means to First, as a way of making better use of ing no one behind. Circle 20 on enquiry card
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