ABSTRACT
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 188 Scope ................................................................................................................. 188
Historical Perspective ............................................................................................ 188 Objectives ............................................................................................................... 189 Major Provisions of the Code ................................................................................ 190
Pesticide Management ...................................................................................... 190 Testing of Pesticides .......................................................................................... 191 Health and Environmental Risks in Developing Nations .................................. 191 Regulatory and Technical Requirements ........................................................... 192
Equivalence .................................................................................................. 193 Availability and Use .......................................................................................... 193 Distribution and Trade ....................................................................................... 194
Obsolete Stocks ............................................................................................ 194 Counterfeits and Illegal Trafžcking .............................................................. 195
Information Exchange ....................................................................................... 195 Labeling, Packaging, Storage, and Disposal ..................................................... 196 Advertising ........................................................................................................ 196
Implementation of the Code ................................................................................... 196 Strategic Program .............................................................................................. 197
Strengths of the Code ............................................................................................. 197 Benežts .................................................................................................................. 198 Challenges .............................................................................................................. 198
Observance on the Code .................................................................................... 198 Management of Pesticides................................................................................. 199
Future .....................................................................................................................200 References .............................................................................................................. 201
Efžcient utilization of all available options for increased food production and reduced risk in public health has become more important than ever in žnding solutions for the global issues of population increase, shrinking resources, and heterogeneous distribution of knowledge. Among the other aspects, control of pests is a major challenge in both food production and public health. Integrated pest and vector management, public sanitation, and biotechnology are some of the approaches available for sustainable solutions to the problem. However, use of pesticides has become one of the most popular alternatives employed at želd level in pest control. Study of recent trends indicates a marked shift in the use of highly hazardous pesticides from developed countries to developing countries. A properly established regulatory control system, which is essential to ensure human and environmental safety of pesticide use, is often not found in developing countries. Established standards in distribution and use of pesticides are therefore necessary to complement the situation to serve as set of norms for the observance by stakeholders, especially the pesticide industry.*
The International Code of Conduct on Distribution and Use of Pesticides jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) is a dynamic instrument designated to represent globally accepted, up-to-date standards for pesticide management with modern approaches in risk reduction, protection of human and environmental health. It facilitates sustainable development in agriculture through judicious and effective use of pesticides while supporting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies and effective interventions in public health risk management. An important feature of the Code is that it embraces the life-cycle concept of pesticide management.
