Information - Develop a common portal consisting of links to national data and information websites including (but not limited to):
- Crop grouping schemes
- Existing National MRL regulation
- Existing Minor Use Programs
- Pest management need/gaps
- Use Authorizations to facilitate data sharing by pesticide/crop/pests
- List server and electronic bulletin board
A Portal Committee has been established to manage the development of the GMUS web based portal. This committee will be co-chaired by Gero Vaagt of FAO and Jerry Baron of IR-4 Project. The first generation portal is available at www.ir4.rutgers.edu. It is anticipated that this Portal will be eventually housed at FAO.
Capacity Building
- Biopesticide/Reduced Risk pesticides
- Multi-lateral review efforts
- Regional coordination and cooperation
- Data generation (field trials, laboratory analysis, development of submission documents)
USDA-Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS) is currently scheduling some Capacity Building programs. The first set of courses will occur in mid-2008 in Africa. Jason Sandahl of USDA-FAS is acting as focal point.
Establish a Working Group on Specialty Crops and Minor Uses - Member countries of Codex will be urged to facilitate the establishment of the Codex Working Group on Specialty Crops and Minor Uses with the objectives of:
- Increased number of Codex MRLs for specialty crops and minor uses
- Support Codex in revising Codex Classification of Food and Animal Feeds including the consideration of the concept of representative crops
It is anticipated that at least one Codex Member country will propose that Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) establishes this Working Group on Specialty Crops and Minor Uses. FAO will prepare an information document for CCPR and will report on behalf of the Organizing Committee at CCPR.
International Collaborations/Pilot Projects
- Explore the concept of a simultaneous JMPR and national review to facilitate the establishment of JMPR recommendations prior to national MRLs
- Investigate the reason for differences in national and Codex MRLs for a specific pesticide/crop combination
- Create a crop specific database for a limited number of crops of global interest that contains a listing of use authorizations and existing residue trials
- Using supervised residue trials to compare residues between regions to support the concept of global zoning
Efforts to start Pilot Projects (PP) C & D are occurring. The structure for database to handle PP-C has been provided by UK’s Pesticide Safety Doctorate. A project to populate the database will be discussed at OECD Expert Group of Minor Uses. IR-4 Project has secured funding for PP-D from USDA-FAS. It is anticipated that the first field trials will be out in 2008.
Global Minor Use Summit II in early 2010
- Focus program on commodity based pest management issues utilizing results from Action Items 1-4 (above) as identified at the first Global Minor Use Summit
Tangible results should have been achieved before Summit II, furthermore it was proposed this Summit should give emphasis to “efficacy issues, e.g. trial protocol, and data exchange”.