The challenge in crop protection is to increase food production without compromising the natural environment and human health. This challenge is also one for global health care because poor diet compromises health. Crop protection does not increase the primary crop yield, but plays an important role in minimizing losses. Without crop protection up to 80% of food crops can be lost through pest damage.

 

In the past pesticides were designed to optimise efficacy, sometimes with harmful side effects to non-target species including man. Today, modern pesticides are designed to have high selectivity for the target organism, and testing programs have been expanded to minimise the risk to man and his environment. Therefore new crop protection chemicals are subjected to a large number of safety tests before they can be considered for a marketing authorisation.

 

Toxicological tests allow a risk assessment for human safety. The acceptable daily intake (ADI) is a measure established as the amount of active substance or its degradation products that is safe for human exposure. Controlled field studies and residue analyses give the maximum residue level (MRL) permitted after label conforming use of the crop protection product. Environmental fate and ecological toxicity studies are carried out to assess the impact on the environment. Worker and bystander exposure studies help to reduce the risk that occurs during application of the product.