JKI hosted international OECD workshop on integrated pest management

In October (16 - 19 Oct 2011), more than 90 participants from 19 countries met at the Julius Kühn Institute in Berlin for discussing achievements and perspectives of an integrated pest management (IPM). This workshop was a follow-up to the OECD workshop of 1998 held in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. It reviewed the development since 1998 and regarded IMP requirements in the light of new legislation and new technical developments. The participants discussed new tools and concepts in farming methods that shall facilitate progress in pesticide risk reduction. Besides members of the European Commission, representatives of FAO, IOBC, IBMA, EPPO, GLOBAL G.A.P., CropLife International and PAN Europe participated in the meeting as well.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international economic organisation of 34 countries. Its Pesticide Working Group co-ordinates  the activities in the field of plant protection. This working group, including its Risk Reduction Steering Committee, is led by the German Ministry of Agriculture (BMELV). The Ministry took over the patronage of the workshop and chose the Julius Kühn Institute in Berlin as confererence venue. Integrated plant protection is high on the agenda of JKI research and, for instance,  JKI scientist Prof. Dr. Bernd Freier explained to the audience the concept and results of a network of reference farms introduced in Germany in 2007.

The participants decided upon recommendations for the further development and implementation of integrated pest management in the OECD member states.  It is expected that the OECD will publish relevant papers within the next weeks.