Status report on global Neem usage - Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal

3. NEEM AS A NON-SYNTHETIC PESTICIDE
Neem oil is often added to the formulation to enhance the effect. Numerous formulated,
neem-based pesticides have been developed in recent years in the USA, Germany and
particularly in India.
In the 80 and beginning 90ies the registration of neem based pesticides was frequently a
problem in many countries and it is still is for example within the EU. Pesticide regulation in
many countries requires many comprehensive tests to ensure the agent’s effectiveness and
its harmlessness for humans and the environment. Such legislation is expedient for synthetic
pesticides, it is a hindrance for biological preparation such as neem. The reason is that
pesticides from plants consist often of a mixture of several active ingredients with unknown
synergistic and additive effects (32). Its various high-molecular-weight ingredients are a
problem when it comes to registration, since each one would have to be tested for its effectiveness,
long-term toxicity and environmental impact (33). The attendant costs would be
immense (5, 7, 8, 19). Such substance does not fit to the “one ingredient/one impact” testing
models of the registration authorities. The problem was eased with the registration of neem
products in the US in the mid of 80ies, where neem products only have to go through a
curtailed registration procedure, registration of neem products. Meanwhile due to the
registration of neem products in a range of industrialised countries a wealth of toxicological
and environmental fate studies and data are available beside the bulk of efficacy tests of
neem products on target pests. Beside the submission of the compiled literature on
toxicological, environmental fate and residue data usually efficacy tests for the specific neem
product in registration are required which has to be carried out by authorised national
institutions (33).
In other countries the authorities only have to be notified of the non-synthetic pesticides. IN
some countries the manufacturers and sellers of neem products receive assistance from the
government how to register the products. In many countries registration is not really a
problem.
A further often more difficult problem to overcome is more likely to be competition from highly
poisonous chemical pesticides which are offered to the farmers at low prices and without
enforcement of the plant protection regulations.
The following table provides an overview of the current neem-based pesticides on the market
and their respective registration status. The table can however provide only an idea of the
current status which is due to rapid changes.
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