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The importance of the Pervemac II project in the sustainable use of pesticides on fruit production in Azores

Lopes, D.L., Aguiar, A., Dias, A., Bettencourt, M., Dutra, R. & Pimentel, R. (2018) The importance of the Pervemac II project in the sustainable use of pesticides on fruit production in Azores. IOBC-WPRS Bulletin132, 17-24.

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  • Jun, 2018

Summary

The overall objective of the PERVEMAC II project is to promote a sustainable use of pesticides in the agricultural production and ensure food security in the archipelagos of the Macaronesian region (Azores, Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde). This achieved by ensuring the safety and health of farmers that apply pesticides in their cultures and at the same time of the consumers minimizing the risk of health and environmental contamination. In all the investigation work programmed, through the residues level quantification in the agricultural products locally produced and imported from the main crops the determination of the level of exposure of consumers to the application of pesticides will be achieved. Using programmed sampling and analysis of the agricultural products collected from fruits like citrus, vegetables, tubers, wine and cereals is possible to ensure food safety and contributing to the Azorean population safeguarding. Making food surveys and determining the amount of these agricultural products consumed, we will obtain the real proportion of these products in our diet and the correlated level of pesticides residues or their metabolites in the food intake by humans. From the residue analysis we obtained the quantification of some active substances of pesticides as for the most part the dithiocarbamates and the pyriposmethyl, showing some of the collected samples values of residues above the maximum residue limit (MRL). Because on the products, analyzed residues found are above the tolerable levels the goal will change to the promoting of different cultural practices at farmer level. In addition, actions for sensitizing the populations of the regions and countries involved in the adoption of good food or diet content. With a special focus on the school population, this work will promote, widening the food components knowledge. These actions will promote actions concerning the use of compost and the implementation of organic production in school gardens and by the Azorean farmer. Actions transferring knowledge and technology regarding the farmer and the technicians through demonstration actions and specific training, concerning these topics are been developed. The elaboration of manual regarding good and sustainable agricultural practices will ensure the adoption and implementation of integrated protection measures, promoting the sustainable use by the farmers of pesticides changing the current environmental impact by implementing alternative means of protection against the major and most frequent phytosanitary problems of these food crops.


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