Pesticide Registration Toolkit

To make optimal use of the Toolkit, training of pesticide registration staff is fundamental. Capacity building may cover the general processes and procedures for pesticide registration, but can also focus on more specialized technical or scientific aspects, such as risk assessment, efficacy evaluation, risk reduction and management, classification & labelling, etc.

Pesticide registrars are invited to contact FAO to assess training needs and develop projects or programmes for capacity building in pesticide registration.

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Jordan: FAO and the Government of Netherlands join forces to strengthen effective pesticide evaluation and registration for more efficient, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems

02/03/2023 - 03/04/2023
From 26 February to 2 March 2023, 16 staff of the Plant Protection & Phytosanitary Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and members of the National Pesticide Registration Committee of Jordan participated in a FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit in Amman, organized jointly by FAO and the Government of Netherlands. Pesticides is widely used in Jordan for boosting agricultural production and exports. Inappropriate pesticide uses pose great threats to human health and the environment and the risks are not properly mitigated, due to weak pesticide management. This hinders the transition of Jordan agriculture to more sustainable and resilient crop production systems and to agro-ecological approaches adoption. The workshop aimed to support the country moves towards sound pesticide management and   minimize pesticides adverse effects on human health and the environment for food security and food safety, contributing to a better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, through strengthening capacities for pesticide registration. The meeting was opened by Mr. Nabil Assaf, FAO Representative in Jordan, Mr Imad Mohammad Eid Jrouh Alawad, Director of Plant Protection & Phytosanitary Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan and Mr Coen van Kessel, Second Secretary Economic Affairs, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jordan. They remarked that Jordan is in the process of intensifying its agricultural production to meet domestic demands for food but also to boost agricultural exports. Such intensification usually happens with increasing human health and environmental risks. The FAO Toolkit training will significantly help the National Pesticide Registration Committee members in evaluating hazardous pesticides and in taking appropriate actions to reduce their risks. During the five-day training participants were introduced to different modules of the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit, practiced pesticides evaluation through various exercises and case studies, learnt to navigate the ToolKit, and discussed its use in day-to-day regulatory work. The training was highly rated by participants as very helpful in everyday work of risk assessment and decision-making of registration. The follow-up training activities on specific modules of the Toolkit will be further discussed. The FAO Toolkit training was organized within the framework of collaborative project between the governments of the Netherlands and Jordan that is executed by Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Products Safety Authority (NVWA).

Zimbabwe: first "hybrid" Pesticides Registration Toolkit training workshop held after two years of COVID-19 restrictions

14/02/2022 - 18/02/2022
The trained officials join over 400 people from more than 70 countries that FAO has taught to navigate the Toolkit and use it effectively since it first went online, in 2016. For two years, COVID-19 prevented the Pesticide Registration Toolkit training workshop from taking place. Now with travel gradually opening up, hybrid workshops are being arranged with participants attending in person and facilitators joining in virtually.  Zimbabwe recently broke the lull, holding its first such workshop on 14-18 February 2022 in Mutare. The session brought together 20 government officials responsible for pesticide regulation and management from the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, and Health face-to-face with one facilitator Ms Ivy Saunyama, a Toolkit trainer. In addition, three Toolkit trainers from the FAO Plant Production and Protection Division, participated virtually. The participants lauded the Toolkit training and discussed how they would use it in their day-to-day work. They added that they eagerly anticipate updates to the Toolkit, especially the modules on biopesticides.

National workshop on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit and the Rotterdam Convention, México

21/10/2019 - 25/10/2019
A national workshop on the Pesticide Registration Toolkit and the Rotterdam Convention was organized from 21 – 25 October 2019 in Mexico, by FAO in close collaboration with the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat. The workshop was attended by 20 participants involved in the evaluation and registration of pesticides in Mexico with backgrounds in plant protection, agriculture, environment and public health. The workshop was facilitated by Mr Arturo Correa and Ms Alicia De La Rosa, FAO consultants, and Mr Gero Vaagt, pesticide management expert. Mr Mario Yarto and Ms Elaine Acosta, of the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, facilitated the sessions on the Rotterdam Convention. This workshop aimed to strengthen the understanding of the obligations and benefits related to the Rotterdam Convention, as well as the capabilities to improve pesticide registration in Mexico, with the Toolkit developed by FAO. Additionally, and as a positive externality, this activity generated a propitious space to exchange information and experiences, thereby identifying gaps in the registration process in Mexico. As a conclusion, the Mexican authorities in charge of pesticide registration pointed out some goals to achieve in the near future: improve intersecretarial coordination; update the legal framework; internalize the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit; increase and improve institutional capacities (evaluators, certifiers, analytical infrastructure, budget, personnel, incentives, etc.); generate post-registration surveillance (legal framework, supervise in the life cycle, carry out greater control of applications, environmental monitoring and epidemiological surveillance); strengthen agreements such as MEXICO-USA-CANADA (TWG pesticides) (joint registry for new molecules), and with OECD, the Regional Center of the Stockholm Convention, chemical and waste network (Forum of Environment Ministers of GRULAC), among others, in order to strengthen the work in the evaluation of pesticides.

Special session on the Toolkit at the WHO/FAO workshop on prevention and management of obsolete pesticides, in Bangladesh

28/08/2019 - 28/08/2019
A one-day special session on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit was organized at the WHO/FAO Workshop on Prevention and Management of Obsolete Pesticides and Used Containers, held from 25–29 August 2019 in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The workshop was attended by 25 experts from Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Tunisia, as well as staff from various UN organizations. Participants comprised of staff from national vector-control programmes who use insecticides for vector control and those from ministries of environment responsible for policy, regulation and integrated management and the safe disposal of stock piles of chemicals including pesticides. The special session provided an introduction to the structure and contents of the Toolkit and then focussed in particular on the evaluation and registration of public health pesticides (PHPs). The special module in the Toolkit on PHPs had been developed in close collaboration with WHO and its use for registration of such products was discussed.

Pesticide Registration Toolkit workshop for Trinidad and Tobago, and selected Caribbean countries.

04/02/2019 - 08/02/2019
A national workshop on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit was held in Trinidad and Tobago from 4 – 8 February 2019. The workshop was organized at the request of the Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago with the aim to strengthen the national regulatory authority in conducting more scientific-based evaluation of pesticides dossiers submitted for pesticides registration. In addition to pesticide registration staff from Trinidad and Tobago, participants from the Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname had been invited. The workshop was facilitated by Ms Seynabou Diagne, of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Health Canada, and Mr Guy Mathurin of FAO in Barbados. Ms Jonelle Jones, of NRM Solutions in Trinidad and Tobago, conducted the session on highly hazardous pesticides. All modules of the Toolkit were presented and participants practiced how best to navigate its contents and apply pesticide evaluation methods. Many participants considered the Toolkit an “eye-opener” and appreciated the very organized and science-based approaches that were provided to assess registration dossiers. Participants agreed to share the knowledge with their colleagues when returning to their respective institutions.

National toolkit workshop for pesticide registrars and stakeholders in Rwanda

29/10/2018 - 02/11/2018
A National workshop on the application of the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit was held in Kigali, Rwanda, October 29 - November 2, 2018.The objective of the training workshop was to familiarize participants with the structure and contents of the Toolkit and discuss how it can be used in the day-to-day work of pesticide registration staff. A total of 16 participants successfully completed the training. The trainees comprised staff members from the Rwanda Agriculture, Livestock Inspection and Certification Services (RALIS), Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB), Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Rwanda Agriculture Inputs Dealers Association (RAIDA), HortInvest and Agribusiness Focussed Partnership Organization (AGRIFOP). The workshop was organized by FAO and was organized with the participation of Wageningen University.

Regional workshop on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit and the Rotterdam Convention, Andean Countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú).

20/10/2018 - 25/10/2018
The General Secretariat of the Andean Community (SGCAN), submitted a request for technical assistance to FAO, within the framework of the provisions contained in Decision 804 that approved the Andean Decision for the Registration and Control of Chemical Pesticides for Agricultural Use. The Decision updated its Technical Manual and established the requirements and conditions so that the chemical equivalence methodology can be used in the pesticide registration.  FAO, responding to this request and considering that several aspects of the needs expressed by SGCAN are developed in the “FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit”, organized the Andean Regional Workshop from October 20 to 25, 2018 in Lima, Perú. Twenty-three registration officers from the four member countries participated, as well as 4 SGCAN officials, 2 international experts (Canada and Mexico for Chemical Equivalence issue), the FAO team and the secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention.  The pesticide registration officers pointed out the usefulness of the Pesticide Registration Toolkit in their daily tasks because it integrates the disciplines and information required to make a better evaluation of dossiers and expressed their interest in applying it.   For its part, the General Secretariat of the Andean Community expressed the following: “In truth, it is an honour to be here and to have for the Comunidad Andina. Four years ago I arrived and the issue of pesticides was a very big problem in the CAN and see that now there is a manual that is ready to enter into force and also have it complemented by how to achieve an efficient and safe pesticides registration. I am satisfied being able to count on FAO, and the Rotterdam Convention, to know that we are working overtime to move this forward. It reflects the quality of human beings that we are and what we want to leave for our children: a planet with a future that can continue to be enjoyed for all generations ”

United Arab Emirates experts discuss pesticide registration and food safety

14/10/2018 - 18/10/2018
FAO, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), organized a workshop on pesticide evaluation and registration. The meeting was organized in Dubai from 14 – 18 October 2018 and brought together 16 participants from different emirates and technical backgrounds. Participants were introduced in the different modules of the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit, practiced its navigation and discussed its use in day-to-day regulatory work. Since the UAE imports most of its food, food safety aspects of imported agricultural commodities received special attention during the workshop. Establishment of maximum residue limits and methods for dietary risk assessment were discussed in detail and options to protect food safety in the UAE were reviewed.

Strengthening the pesticide regulatory capacity in Europe and Central Asia

25/09/2018 - 28/09/2018
FAO organised a regional meeting for registrars from Europe and Central Asia with the purpose to strengthen their existing regulatory capacity and promote cooperation between the countries. The workshop was held in Chisinau, Moldava, from 25 - 28 September and consisted of presentations about the work that FAO is doing in this field, a presentation about the Pesticide Registration Toolkit, presentations by individual countries about their registration systems and several group discussions to investigate the possibilities for future support and cooperation on pesticide registration and related issues. The main invitees to the meeting were representatives of registration authorities of eight countries that fall under the mandate of FAO-REU:  Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

Workshop in Thailand brings together regulators from several South-East Asian countries

06/08/2018 - 10/08/2018
Pesticide regulators from departments of agriculture and public health in Thailand met in Bangkok for a workshop on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit. They were joined by regulators from Cambodia and Lao PDR. In total 25 technical staff discussed different aspects of pesticide registration, such as decision making, data requirements, assessment methods and risk mitigation. They were trained on the navigation and use of the Toolkit and reviewed how best to apply this tool in national registration of agricultural, domestic and public health pesticides. Specific attention was given in the workshop to highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), which included technical support for the identification and assessment of HHPs as well as development of mitigation measures to reduce risks associated with such pesticides. This workshop aimed at strengthening pesticide regulatory management capacity within Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR and enhance regional collaboration and information exchange between pesticide regulatory authorities. It was organized in a collaboration between FAO and the Swedish Chemical Agency (KEMI) and hosted by the Department of Agriculture of the Royal Thai Government.