It is peak bloom season and a beautiful time of year at the foot of Mt Hood in Oregon USA - about a one hour drive from Portland through the Columbia River Gorge.

A documentary team from Flooded Cellar in the UK is currently filming there to look at Codex Alimentarius throughout the supply chain. This involves speaking directly to farmers and manufacturers as well as industry and consumers.

The visit has been coordinated by the U.S. Codex Office and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Crop Spraying

The tractor applies a spray to control fireblight on the pear blossoms.  There is a critical need for pesticides in agriculture, and the farmer has to understand international standards (Codex) to make pesticide application decisions. Getting this right is important for exports and to support the local economy. Indeed having standards in place in export markets is a critical piece of the process.

Measuring the effects of pesticides

Pest management is also crucial and the specialist can be seen evaluating applications of pesticide for research. Gathering scientific data is needed to set the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) that are the basis of Codex standards in this field.

Field representatives from the pesticide producers coordinate between the growers and the packhouses to determine where the fruit is likely to be marketed or exported. They help the growers make decisions about what pesticides to use, and what pre-harvest interval to follow, in order to ensure compliance with international trade standards.

At the pear packhouse

As the prodcue is packed for export, it is critical there are standards in place in the chosen export markets to ensure that no trade disruptions occur. Industry also needs to ensure that growers are following spray regulations in order to comply with both US and Codex MRLs.

Learn more

Click on the link to examine the Codex Pesticides database of MRLs.

The full documentary will be available shortly online