Updated Annex S7: Improving our

Integrated Pest Management Approach

Filed Under: Certification | Tagged: 2020 Certification Program
Last updated June 28, 2021

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To advance the transition towards sustainable and

regenerative agriculture it is crucial to increase adoption of
more environmentally friendly agricultural practices. As part
of the Rainforest Alliance’s commitment to gradually move
towards crop-specific approaches by harmonizing science-
based and field-based approaches, we are presenting changes
to Annex S7: Pesticides Management.
These changes have been made after consultations with different stakeholders,
and with the input of experts and people very close to the field realities and
contexts, and we would like to thank participants for their feedback.

The changes affect two different areas of the Annex:

 The prohibited list and the risk mitigation list

 Aerial application
An overview of the changes and what they mean can be seen here below. For
more information or questions, please send an email to: ipm@ra.org
Changes to the prohibited list and risk
mitigation list
The Prohibited List contains pesticides that are prohibited from use because
they are considered to pose great human health and environmental risks, or
because they are widely banned or no longer produced. These substances must
not be used in farms where Rainforest Alliance Certified crops are grown.

The use of Risk Mitigation Pesticides is discouraged, but not forbidden. These
pesticides should only be applied when there is an Integrated Pest Management
strategy and the appropriate risk mitigation measures to protect people and the
environment are implemented in full.

The updates in the pesticides lists in Annex S7: Pesticide Management were
done following changes in categorization of specific substances because they
meet (or no longer meet) criteria according to the Globally Harmonized System
of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) to be classified as Highly
Hazardous pesticides.
SUBSTANCE-SPECIFIC CHANGES
Adaptations were made for four substances in the Prohibited List and Risk
Mitigation List.

 The herbicide Flumioxazim was moved from the Prohibited List to

the Risk Mitigation List. For farmers, this means the substance can be
used if all related mitigation measures are taken, as stated in Annex 7.
 The insecticide Thiacloprid and the fungicides Mancozeb and
Dimetomorph have all been added to the Prohibited List, as they have
been reclassified according to the Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) under Criterion 4,
reproductive toxicity 1b.
Changes to crop production methods cannot be made overnight, so we
understand that phasing out these substances will require additional time. This
is why we have established a phase-out period of one year, from June 30,
2021 – June 30, 2022.
In very specific cases, there is a procedure for requesting Exceptional Use
exceptions. Please read more on our Exceptional Use Policy page, and note that
application for an exemption does not mean the substance may necessarily be
used.
Aerial application and the use of drones
The subject of aerial application is in constant evolution. This is why, when
Annex S7 first appeared we indicated that we would be updating the annex in
the near future. Our research, along with a stakeholder consultation, has led to
further optimization on the content of the annex specifically for aerial
application and drones.

The main adaptations to the annex promote more clarity and give more room to
implement vegetative coverage of drainage canals, and more room to work with
drones for aerial application. The following is a list of changes:

CLARIFICATION ON ROADS
To protect workers and passers-by, ensuring that they are not exposed to sprays,
Annex S7 requires warning mechanism to notify and protect people when
pesticides are being applied. To ensure that the measures are effective, it is
important to clarify the definition of what is a road, and what the differences can
be between public roads and farm roads. For the former, the standard requires
non-application zones, while the latter need to be closed completely when aerial
application of pesticides is going on. And now, it has been clarified that for
roads in the farm area where there are occasional passers-by, either method can
be chosen.

VEGETATION COVER
Water sources and water flora and fauna can be at risk when using pesticides.
That is why the Standard requires drainage canals to be covered by vegetation to
protect surface water from direct spraying. However, it was pointed out during
our consultations that for some farms the timeline and costs for implementation
of the requirements may be difficult to meet. We understand the challenges and
are stretching the period for implementing the Standard to three years. Also, we
require that drainage canals are covered as much as possible when they are too
wide to fully cover them with vegetation.

DRONES
The Rainforest Alliance 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard seeks to support
innovations that lead to more sustainability in the production of our certified
crops. In the case of pesticides, one area of innovation has been aerial
application using drones. The benefit of using this new technology is that it can
give lower spray drift than airplane-based application, and that it can help
 reduce the health risks for the people who do manual spraying while being more
effective because it is done from above.

We have updated Annex S7 to better reflect the actual realities on drone use.
And we recognize that the use of drones for pesticide application and legal
regulation are developing fast, so we will continue to monitor the situation and
adjust requirements if needed.

For example, we have removed the maximum weight requirements for drones,
as long as they comply with applicable legislation, and we have eliminated the
requirement that a substance must be explicitly marked to be used for drone
application. In line with current legislation on drone use for aerial application,
we now require flight hours of experience, rather than months and years. Drone
pilots have to be licensed.

Related to flight, it is now allowed to have more than one drone in flight at the
same time, and one pilot can operate up to three drones. Further, it is no longer
necessary for the pilot to keep the drone in their line of sight.

Finally, we reduced the agrochemical non-application zones for drone

application to match those of ground application and have given a possibility to
further reduce the zone if more precise application can be shown.

Keeping an eye on developments

For all of these topics, we continue to monitor the situation on the ground and
the legal requirements and changes, to ensure that the requirements in the
Standard actively contribute to improved practices. You can refer to this page to
learn more about any updates or changes in the future.

New Integrated Pest Management App

Filed Under: In the Field | Tagged: Innovation, Integrated Pest Management , Climate-smart agriculture
Last updated June 13, 2019

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All over the world, farmers fight the pests that attack their
crops the only way they know how: with pesticides. But
some of these harsh chemicals put the health of farmers, their
families, and the environment at risk—which is why the
Rainforest Alliance works to train farmers in integrated pest
management, or natural ways to prevent and control pests.
As part of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coalition, the Rainforest
Alliance helped develop the new Pesticides & Alternatives app, where farmers
can learn about the toxicity levels of 700 pesticides. The app also features a list
of 2,700 agricultural pests and information on how to prevent and control them
without pesticides, using data from CABI. Information about pesticide
regulations in Mexico, India, Brazil, Colombia, and Kenya, and restrictions
from nine sustainable agriculture certification standards, including
the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ standards, is also available.
What is Integrated Pest
Management?
Integrated pest management is using good agricultural practices and non-
chemical measures to reduce pests and disease and avoid the use of chemicals.
Examples of natural pest control are both manual—such as regular pruning of
infected plants—and biological, such as unleashing a benign fungus to colonize
a plant, thereby preventing a destructive fungus from taking up residence.
Besides reducing pesticide use, such techniques can also improve soil health,
drought resistance, generate higher yields, and save farmers money.

This app isn’t just for farmers. “What’s really exciting about the app is that,
while it’s useful for farmers and auditors in sustainable agriculture certification
programs, it’s for everyone who wants to help reduce global pesticide use,” says
María Angélica Bonilla, standards and assurance senior officer for the
Rainforest Alliance.
Developed by experts
“The “Pesticides & Alternatives” app was developed by a coalition of like-
minded organizations collaborating to achieve the very important goal of
reducing pesticide use,” Bonilla explains. IPM Coalition members include:
Better Cotton Initiative, Bonsucro, Fairtrade, Forest Stewardship Council, GEO
Foundation, Global Coffee Platform, Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials,
the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) and the Rainforest Alliance. The
development of the app was possible thanks to the technical support from the
Oregon State University’s Integrated Plant Protection Center (OSU-IPPC) and
the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), as well as funds
from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, supported by the Swiss Confederation.
How to download the app
You can download the free “Pesticides and Alternatives” app from
the GooglePlay or iTunes app Store in English, Portuguese, or Spanish. Once
it’s downloaded, it can run offline so that farmers can access it wherever they
are.