Reducing Pesticides in Water

Brussels (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Crop Protection Industry Intensifies Water Protection Measures

Today a strong delegation of more than 90 people, representing
research institutes, national authorities, farmer associations, water
industry and crop protection industry, gathered in Brussels for the
TOPPS-prowadis* workshop to exchange views and discuss practical
solutions for professional pesticide users on how to best mitigate
water contamination from diffuse sources.

"What we describe as diffuse sources is the pesticide run-off and
drift on the field level" - Philippe Costrop, project chairmen of the
initiative explained. "As diffuse sources are often the main cause of
water contamination, we want to offer concrete recommendations
available for farmers to protect water."

"Under TOPPS-prowadis projects we have been preparing best
management practices (the BMPs) full of advice, training materials
and information for farmers with tools on how to reduce losses of
crop protection products to water bodies. Now you can also find them
on our freshly launched website (http://www.topps-life.org
[www.topps-life.org ])" - Philippe Costrop added.

Continuing on from the previous year's TOPPS projects the
TOPPS-prowadis, run by the European Crop Protection Association
(ECPA) in collaboration with numerous EU partners, plans to reach out
to 350,000 farmers and their advisors, land managers and pesticide
operators in key European agricultural markets, addressing main
European water protection issues and the new pesticides legislative
requirements.

"One of the main water related "Time to Change" projects, the
crop protection industry plans to expand the TOPPS-prowadis
initiative going forward to all EU member states" - said Friedhelm
Schmider Director General of European Crop Protection Association
(ECPA).

"Studies have proven that with simple risk mitigation measures
and best management practices 80% of water contamination can be
prevented. Minor modifications applied by the farmer can have a
significant impact on water quality. The understanding that it can be
markedly improved by knowledge transfer to the field has been driving
all of our efforts"- Friedhelm Schmider concluded.

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) represents the
crop protection industry interests at European level. Its members
include all major companies and national associations across Europe.

For more general information:
http://www.ecpa.eu
http://www.hungry4change.eu
facebook.com/cropprotection [http://www.facebook.com/cropprotection ]
twitter.com/cropprotection [https://twitter.com/#!/cropprotection ]

For the online version please follow the link: http://www.ecpa.eu
/news-item/environmental-protection/04-24-2012/665/reducing-pesticide
s-water

*TOPPS-prowadis (Protecting Water from Diffuse Sources):
http://www.topps-life.org

ots Originaltext: European Crop Protection Association (ECPA)
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Contact: Anna Seretny, Communications Coordinator,
anna.seretny@ecpa.eu; Stuart Rutherford, Director Environmental
Affairs,
stuart.rutherford@ecpa.eu
Switchboard: +32(0)2663-1550