Five ministries and commissions focus on rural food safety zero growth of pesticide use in 2020

Photo Source: CFP

Recently, in order to manage and solve the outstanding problems of food safety in rural areas, and to ensure the "safety on the tip of the tongue" of the broad masses of rural people, the Food Safety Office of the State Council, in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the State Administration of Food and Drug Administration, issued the "opinions on strengthening the Management of Rural Food Safety" (hereinafter referred to as "opinions").

In terms of source control of edible agricultural products, the opinion emphasizes that agricultural departments at all levels should, in conjunction with relevant departments, strictly implement the registration and use system of agricultural and veterinary drugs, and improve the residue standards of agricultural and veterinary drugs in food. formulate guidelines for the rational use of agricultural and veterinary drugs and good agricultural practices such as planting and breeding of edible agricultural products To establish and improve the traceability system of edible agricultural products covering the links of planting, breeding, processing and marketing of edible agricultural products, with traceable sources and responsibilities.

The opinion points out that we should strengthen the supervision of edible agricultural products, strictly control the use of agricultural inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and veterinary drugs, organize and implement the Action of Zero growth in the use of Chemical Fertilizers and pesticides by 2020, speed up the elimination of highly toxic, highly toxic and high residual pesticides, encourage the use of pesticides with high efficiency, low toxicity and low residues, promote soil testing formula fertilization, green prevention and control of diseases and insect pests, and establish and improve the slaughtering management system of livestock and poultry. We will improve the harmless treatment mechanism of sick and dead livestock and poultry.

Sui Pengfei, director of the Pesticide Inspection and Control Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the implementation of "zero growth of pesticides" is a common international practice after the development of agricultural modernization to a certain stage.

"at present, profound changes have taken place in the organizational form, management mode and service mode of agricultural production in China, and considerable progress has been made in the pesticide industry. These changes provide the conditions and material basis for solving the problems of multi-use and abuse of traditional and inefficient pesticides." He pointed out in an interview with the media.

In fact, the developed countries of the European Union legislated to reduce pesticides as early as the end of 1980s.

The pesticide reduction plan became a mandatory policy of the European Union in 2006. Pesticide use in the Netherlands fell from more than 20, 000 tons in 1985 to 5778 tons in 2012; Sweden and Denmark controlled the growth of pesticide use through the implementation of pesticide taxes; and South Korea promulgated the Environment-friendly Agriculture support Act in 1999, proposing a 50 per cent reduction in pesticide use by 2010.

In addition, the "opinion" also emphasizes that local agriculture, industry and commerce, food and drug supervision, and public security departments at all levels should cooperate closely to achieve a seamless connection between administrative law enforcement and criminal justice, and effectively form a joint force to crack down. dig deep into food crimes and severely punish criminals.