Key objectives:
1. Strengthen Advocacy and Awareness Raising
2. Enhance the Capacity of key Stakeholders
3. Support Law Enforcement & Judiciary Procedures
Counterfeits and other fraudulent (CTF) pesticides have become a major threat to agricultural development in Africa. The increasing proliferation of fraudulent and counterfeit pesticides and the related socio-economic impact coupled with health and environment risks pose serious concerns for the sustainability of agricultural and the overall national economies as agriculture occupies a strategic position in the economies of countries in Africa.
Legal pesticides are highly regulated to ensure their use leads to “Maximizing the Benefits and Minimizing the Risks” according to the stewardship concept of CropLife International. CTF pesticides escape the regulatory processes. They are illegally produced by criminals, are untested and their compositions are often unknown, and they may contain toxic and banned compounds thus putting at risk farmer health and the environment.
Combating CTF pesticides requires a strong cooperation and coordination among the key stakeholders including law enforcement authorities (LEAs) comprising of regulatory bodies, Customs Services and Security Forces, supply chain actors (distributors and retailers), farmers and other end-users, agricultural development programs, all working together with the legal pesticide industry.
CropLife Africa Middle East and its member companies have long invested in fighting the illicit trade of pesticides. The fight against CTF pesticides is founded on the:
Vision to “Address the Anticounterfeiting as a Collective Responsibility”.
Mission to “Empower farmers and other key stakeholders to combat CTF pesticides”. The Anti-CTF strategy has 4 key objectives:
Raising Awareness by advocating on the importance of IPRs in innovation and economic development, stressing on the risks of CTF pesticides on the health of farmers and their families, the environment and the potential ruin of farming communities. The activities are delivered during dedicated workshops and training sessions, through Radio-TV messages and printed materials.
Building Capacity for farmers to detect and report cases of CTF pesticides to LEAs, and supporting LEAs for tracing, tracking and seizing CTF pesticides.
Supporting Law Enforcement judicial officers for prosecuting infringement cases with deterrent penalties and other related measures.
Strengthening Alliances and Cooperation and Communication to support the activities.
Steps towards Anti-Counterfeiting
Objectives
1. Advocacy on the contribution of IPRs to the agricultural economy and to the social and economic development.
2. Awareness raising on the risks of counterfeit and other illegal (CTF) pesticides for human health and the environment and on the financial, economic, and social impacts.
3. Capacity Enhancement of the farming communities (Farmers Focus Program, FFP) and the supply chain to detect CTF pesticides and denounce cases.
4. Capacity Enhancement for the law enforcement authorities (LEAs) for the detection, tracking and seizing of CTF pesticides.
5. Support for the effective enforcement of IPRs and Anti-CFT laws.
6. Enforcement of deterrent penalties against counterfeiting and other illegal activities.
7. Strengthening cooperation among the LEAs and with the industry and farmers.
8. Encourage and support innovative solutions for product packaging and labeling by member companies.
9. Strengthening cooperation and strategic alliances.
10. Reporting and communication of cases.
Farmers are in the forefront of the illegal trade of pesticides. Their full cooperation is key to successful and sustained policies to fight counterfeit and other illegal pesticides. The FFP is delivered for farmers as the main targets through:
1. Awareness Raising by stressing on the risks of CTF pesticides on the health of farmers, farm workers and their families and consumers of agricultural produces, on the environment and the potential ruin of farming communities.
2. Capacity Enhancement to provide knowledge, tools, and tips for the detection of CTF pesticides, ensuring pesticides are purchased from ‘legal’ legitimate dealers/suppliers.
3. Encouraging cooperation with the industry and suppliers and with LEAs to denounce cases.
4. Monitoring and Evaluation of training and other programs
a. Awareness through training, Radio-TV messages, and printed materials
b. Capacity Enhancement for…
c. Capacity for Farmers and other users
d. Cooperation and Strategic Alliances