Thousands of Farms Join with
UNEP to Phase-Out Methyl Bromide
4 April, 2006 - More than 5000
farms and organizations today joined forces with
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
to accelerate the phase-out of an agricultural
pesticide that damages the ozone layer, the Earth’s
protective shield.
Methyl bromide has been used by farmers to kill
pests in the soil before planting crops like tomatoes,
strawberries, melons and flowers.
But in 1992 it was officially controlled as an
ozone-depleting substance and is scheduled to
be phased-out under the Montreal Protocol, the
international treaty set up to protect the ozone
layer.
The new International Partnership for Phasing-out
Methyl Bromide brings together many farms and
companies that have shown leadership in protecting
the ozone layer.
These include farmers’ associations and supermarkets
such as Marks & Spencer and Co-op – with international
organizations such as UNEP, FAO, UNIDO, UNDP,
GTZ, MPS and CAB International.
The Partnership aims to accelerate the world-wide
switch from methyl bromide to ozone-friendly alternatives.
Shafqat Kakakhel, UNEP’s Deputy Executive Director
and Officer in Charge, said: “The battle to restore
the ozone layer, which protects all life on Earth
from harmful solar Ultra Violet-radiation, has
been one of the great environmental success stories
with a wide range of chemicals such as Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) already largely phased out under the Montreal
Protocol”.
“However methyl bromide, one of the last on the
list, is proving harder to remove with some farmers
convinced that the alternatives are ineffective
or too costly. By demonstrating the fact that
thousands of farms and companies can grow, source
and sell products without using this chemical,
the Partnership sends a clear signal that a methyl
bromide-free world is possible sooner rather than
later,” he added.
A survey carried out for the Partnership has so
far identified more than 5000 commercial farms
that produce tomatoes, peppers, melons, strawberries,
and flowers without using methyl bromide. The
farms are located in more than 30 countries around
the world.
The Partnership plans to establish a business-to-business
(B2B) net-based service, linking grocery stores
seeking goods produced without methyl bromide
with farmers and suppliers who do not use methyl
bromide. This will link with agricultural certification
organizations (e.g. MPS, AENOR) so that companies
can confidently purchase flowers, strawberries,
tomatoes, melons, and other products that are
certified as grown without methyl bromide.
Farms and companies that join the Partnership
have already stopped using methyl bromide or will
pledge to halt their use of methyl bromide by
September 2007, in celebration of the 20th anniversary
of the Montreal Protocol.
The Partnership is a public-private initiative,
which encourages companies to take voluntary steps
to augment national environmental regulations
that control methyl bromide.
Statements by leadership companies and organizations
that support the International Partnership:
"Farmers in Almería region produce
almost 60 per cent of the vegetables exported
from Spain – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons,
and others” said Mr Juan Colomina Figueredo, Managing
Director of COEXPHAL Association of Farmers and
Exporters of Fruit and Vegetables in Almería
Spain. “Several years ago our farmers eliminated
methyl bromide from this very large agricultural
region, and supermarket customers are happy with
the results. Our farmers also found that alternatives
are economically viable in this highly competitive
sector."
“4,500 farms in more than 30 countries are members
of the international MPS organization that certifies
standards of good agricultural practice. These
farms produce cut flowers, ornamentals and vegetables
without using any methyl bromide.” said Mr. Theo
de Groot, Managing Director of MPS. “Organizations
like MPS audit and certify the farms, ensuring
that supermarkets and other customers will receive
products that are better for the environment and
society.”
‘Marks & Spencer supports the desire to see
a world growing fresh produce without needing
to use methyl bromide,” said Mr Emmett Lunny,
Senior Technologist, Marks & Spencer supermarket.
“Sterilising the same piece of land, without rotations,
is not good agricultural practice. There are many
other options available (chemical & non-chemical)
backed up by scientific research. Our Egyptian
strawberry supplier, for example, has this year
completely phased-out methyl bromide.”
“Methyl bromide is a broad-spectrum pest control
method which kills both harmful and beneficial
organisms” said Dr Niek van der Graaff of the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “FAO
has facilitated farmers’ field school training
and IPM learning for growers in Africa and other
regions, enabling them to adopt more sustainable
pest control methods and thereby eliminate methyl
bromide. Farmers are pleased with the use of certain
non-chemical alternatives for soil pest control
because they are economically feasible and environmentally
safe. FAO provides technical support to continue
activities to phase-out methyl bromide soil treatments
through IPM training.”
“UNIDO has been working since 1997 with farms
in developing countries, providing training and
helping to adopt MB alternatives on farms”, said
Mr Guillermo Castellá Lorenzo, Programme
Manager, Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Branch of the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization. “To date these projects have phased-out
more than 3100 tonnes of methyl bromide. In our
experience, with proper training and technology-transfer,
farms can successfully produce crops like flowers,
tobacco, tomatoes, peppers, melons, and strawberries
without using methyl bromide.”
"We are pleased to support the Partnership
to reward farmers for protecting the stratospheric
ozone layer" said Dr. Suely Carvalho, Chief
Montreal Protocol Unit, Energy and Environment
Group, United Nations Development Programme. "Within
its role to link and coordinate global and national
efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals,
UNDP assists countries to both protect the environment
and reduce poverty. In this regard, UNDP has been
working with many countries to eliminate the use
of methyl bromide. UNDP is committed to ensure
the goals of the Montreal Protocol are met".
Notes to Editors
Organisations that support the Partnership include
the following:
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
www.unep.org/ozone
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/IPM/Web_Brom/welcome.htm
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
(UNIDO)
www.unido.org/en/doc/29643
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
www.undp.org/montrealprotocol/prog_activities_new1.htm
GTZ-Proklima
www2.gtz.de/proklima/english/sectors/mebr/
Co-operative Group UK
www.co-op.co.uk
MPS agricultural certification programme
www.my-mps.com
Marks and Spencer
www.marksandspencer.com
CAB International agricultural organisation
www.cabi-bioscience.org
Parts of the ozone layer have become significantly
thinner (depleted) compared to the 1970s, due
to the use of chemicals such as CFCs, halons and
methyl bromide (MB). A Canadian government study
in 1997 estimated that phasing-out ozone-depleting
substances under the Montreal Protocol will prevent
the occurrence of about 129 million cases of eye
cataracts and 20 million cases of skin cancer,
as well as providing other health benefits. In
addition, it prevents damage to fisheries, damage
to agriculture and industrial materials, giving
a net benefit of more than US$ 224 billion.(1)
Protecting the ozone layer therefore prevents
huge costs to industry, government and public
health.
As a result of controls place on MB by governments
of the world under the Montreal Protocol, the
consumption of MB in industrialised countries
was reduced from more than 56,000 tonnes in 1991
to about 14,500 tonnes in 2003 (excluding quarantine
treatments), and consumption has also been reduced
in many developing countries. Globally, 106 countries
reported that they did not consume MB in 2003,
except for treatment of quarantine pests in some
cases – 55 of these countries used MB in the past.
As a result, the quantity of MB detected in the
atmosphere has fallen significantly since 1998.(2)
While this shows admirable progress, scientists
have warned against complacency - many small,
remaining uses of MB risk negating the gains achieved
to date.(2) Scientists have noted that the ozone
layer will not recover if the Montreal Protocol
phase-out commitments are not implemented in full.
Reports and case studies published by UNEP, the
Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee (MBTOC),
the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), European
Commission, Nordic Council of Ministers, and other
bodies, have identified a wide range of chemical
and non-chemical substitutes that control the
same pests for which MB is used. These substitutes
are now used by many farms and companies in all
regions of the world.
Farms and companies who comply with certified
standards of agricultural production such as AENOR
UNE 155001 (fruit and vegetables), MPS (flowers,
fruit and vegetables) and EUREP-GAP (flowers),
are not permitted to use MB.
For information about the Montreal Protocol: http://www.unep.org/ozone
Footnotes
(1) Source: ‘Science Symposium: Challenges and
Perspectives – Ozone Layer Protection’ in ‘Report
of 16th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal
Protocol’ UNEP/OzL.Pro.16/17, UNEP 2004, pages
98-100.
(2) Source: ‘The Right Choice at the Right Time.
The Global Benefits and Costs of the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer’ Environment Canada, Government of Canada
1997.
