Report from the Sub-comittee on the environment and health

fungi. Work has also been done on a substance that is extracted <strong>from</strong> a
brown alga species.
Within insecticides, products have been developed that have different
action mechanisms <strong>from</strong> earlier insecticides and that can overcome
resistance to previously used insecticides. The substances are effective in
doses <strong>from</strong> 5 to 20 grammes per hectare. <strong>Sub</strong>stances that are used as
pheromones for specific pests are also being developed. The pests are
caught in traps treated with <strong>the</strong> pheromone and are <strong>the</strong>n killed with
insecticides.
There has been a move towards substances that are more specific, that
originate <strong>from</strong> existing biologically active substances in <strong>the</strong> environment,
and that can be used in far smaller quantities per hectare. As far as <strong>the</strong>
environmental impacts of combating weeds, diseases and pests are
concerned, <strong>the</strong> new pesticides are unlikely to make much difference. On
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, <strong>the</strong> general environmental risk will probably be reduced
because of <strong>the</strong> stricter environmental requirements for <strong>the</strong> authorisation
of pesticides, <strong>the</strong> smaller quantities that need to be used and <strong>the</strong> lower
toxicity to non-target organisms.
9.12 Conclusions
There are a number of non-chemical and alternative methods of
preventing and controlling pests in agriculture that could reduce <strong>the</strong>
pesticide load on <strong>the</strong> environment and improve health and safety through
omission of spraying. The methods include consistent and systematic use
of damage thresholds and decision-support systems. The environmental
and health advantage of non-chemical methods is <strong>the</strong> absence of
pollution of surface water, groundwater and <strong>the</strong> surroundings in general.
Ending <strong>the</strong> use of pesticides by using mechanical weed control,
preventive production methods, development of resistant varieties,
biological control of pests and <strong>the</strong> use of genetically modified plants with
resistance to pests would remove <strong>the</strong> exposure of workers in farming,
forestry and market gardening and would remove pesticide residues <strong>from</strong>
food products produced in Denmark, although not <strong>from</strong> imported
products, see section 10.4.2. The <strong>Sub</strong>-committee on Agriculture believes
that it is possible to achieve a 20-50% reduction in some crops by
combining decision-support systems and chemical and non-chemical
methods. However, some of <strong>the</strong>se methods also have various impacts on
<strong>the</strong> environment and health that do not directly imply significantly
improved conditions for environment and health.
It can also be concluded that <strong>the</strong>re are good possibilities of reducing <strong>the</strong>
load on <strong>the</strong> environment through improved spraying methods and a
proper procedure for washing and filling of spraying equipment,
including <strong>the</strong> arrangement of sites for filling and washing. Lastly, <strong>the</strong>
sub-committee concludes that increased soil treatment in connection with
a phase-out of pesticides would not result in any significant difference in
<strong>the</strong> formation of fungal toxins and release of nutrients provided <strong>the</strong>se
factors were taken into account in cultivation practice. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand,
if pesticides were no longer used, energy consumption would in all
probability increase.
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