Instruments de mesure de l’utilisation de produits phytosanitaires dans un contexte de développement durable

Abstract

Instruments aimed to measure pesticide use in the framework of sustainable development. Indicators are proposed in order to be able to measure progress towards sustainability in crop protection strategies requiring the use of pesticides. According to the fixed objectives, such indicators can be either simple (figure easily obtainable) or more complex (set of figures obtained using more or less complex algorithms). The most simple indicators are indicators of use (tonnage which has been used in a well defined geographic area, number of treatments during a cropping season). While interesting for their simplicity and for their readily availability, those indicators present some drawbacks because they do not allow to take into account trends in the impact of pesticides on man (as a pesticide applicator, as an agricultural worker or as a consumer of treated foodstuffs) or on the environment (harmful effects on soil, water, air and on the organisms living therein). The present paper describes a set of indicators related to the usage (Tonnage, Frequency of application), to the soil and water pressure (SEPTWA) and to the impact (Seq, SyPEP, POCER), that has been used in Belgium in order to measure some progress towards sustainable development. Examples of application are provided in the framework of Integrated Pest Management. They deal with the choice of active Ingredients, commercial preparations, application modes and treatment schemes that, using such indicators, are identified as safer for man and for the environment.

Keywords

• Pesticides
• crop protection
• indicators
• sustainable development
• IPM
• toxicity
• environment
• Belgium