Pesticides recommended use patterns and impact on food trade standards and their global harmonization

This presentation intends to illustrate the direct dependency of pesticides residues in food (and the associated standards for safety and trade) with the recommended use practices of the pesticides (defined technically as Good Agricultural Practice -GAP). The recommended uses are proposed by biology experts based on dose-response efficacy trials, and validated by regulatory agencies to ensure the safety to human and environmental health. As a general principle, the GAP is recomended within certain ranges that will enable flexibility to account for different infestation level, different agricultural practices, varieties of the crops and agro-ecological conditions. However these differences in uses might trigger differencial residues across countries, residue data is generated for the worst-case conditions globalwise, and food standards (Maximum Residue Level - MRL, or Import Tolerances - IT) can be proposed at harmonized level to enable free trade, because food production and its availability is not uniformly distributed across the world. Some solutions contributing to further harmonization of GAPs and the subsequent MRL/Tolerances will be discussed to increase the awareness and collaboration for the food security, safety and trade.