Safer pesticide use: Voluntary standard for agro-dealers launched in China

On December 26, 2024, Sichuan Province launched a significant initiative: the ″Establishment Specification for IPM Promotion Pesticide Stores.″ Written in collaboration with local partners and PlantwisePlus, including CABI’s Dr Min Wan, this new voluntary standard aims to reform agro-shop operations in China. Starting January 1, 2025, it promotes safer pesticide use aligned with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles. 

A shop-linked plant clinic in Shizhong district, Leshan prefecture, Sichuan province, China. Credit: Min Wan/CABI.

CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme focuses on improving agricultural practices worldwide. It supports local communities in adopting sustainable methods that enhance environmental sustainability in agriculture. 

Sustainable agriculture in China

China has been actively integrating sustainable practices into its agricultural strategies. The focus is on reducing environmental impacts and increasing the efficiency of resource use across the country’s vast agricultural sectors. IPM is a crucial element of this approach. 

What is IPM? Image: CABI

IPM emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agroecosystems. It encourages natural pest control mechanisms. This approach is part of a broader move towards sustainability, which combines traditional practices with modern techniques to create a more resilient agricultural system. 

These initiatives reflect China’s larger goals to ensure food security, improve food safety, and reduce agricultural pollution. Thus, demonstrating a clear strategy towards more sustainable agricultural development. 

The voluntary standard: objectives and development

The ″Establishment Specification for IPM Promotion Pesticide Stores″ was developed to set a higher standard for agro-shop operations. It aims to improve how pesticides are handled and used and ensure they align with sustainable practices.  

This standard also focuses on educating agro-dealers and is grounded in years of experience with shop-linked plant clinics in Sichuan province, supported by Plantwise. It provides clear guidelines on proper pesticide storage, handling, and application, which are critical for minimizing environmental impacts and enhancing farm safety.  

Receipt for farmers with a QR code for recommendations. Credit: Min Wan/ CABI

Crucially, the standard adopts plant clinic prescriptions. The prescriptions generate a QR code that customers can scan in-store. With most of the population having smartphones, this is an efficient way of ensuring farmers take home the correct advice. Additionally, the prescriptions are an essential tool for monitoring the advice agro-dealers give farmers, ensuring that it is accurate and safe.  

This initiative showcases a proactive approach to agricultural challenges, turning policy into practice through collaborative standard-setting and implementation. Involving local stakeholders was essential in shaping a practical and effective standard in the local context.

How do voluntary standards improve local agro-shops? 

While it is too early to see the effects of this latest, just-launched voluntary standard, it sets clear expectations for agro-dealers on safer pesticide use. The standard builds on lessons learned from previous standards in China.  

Since 2019, the Department of Agrochemical Management and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) have sponsored a national initiative that aims to promote the standardized operation of agro-input shops in six aspects:  

• business location

• product management

• business operational behaviour

• technical service providing

• management system

• recycling of pesticide packaging waste

Consequently, many provincial agricultural authorities issued practical documents to facilitate the initiative’s implementation. 

An IPM promotion demonstration shop in Qianwei county, Leshan prefecture, Sichuan province, China. Credit: Min Wan/ CABI

CABI conducted interviews in 2022, revealing that these earlier guidelines helped to increase the reliability of plant protection products and engendered a greater sense of trust among farmers.  

The new standard aims to further enhance training and knowledge among agro-dealers, positioning them to offer farmers more effective and sustainable advice. As agro-shops adjust to these guidelines, the anticipated outcomes include better pesticide management, reduced environmental impact, and improved crop health.  

Introducing standards like the ″Establishment Specification for IPM Promotion Pesticide Stores″ plays a key role in tackling some of China’s persistent agricultural issues. These standards address problems such as pesticide overuse, environmental pollution, and the need for more effective crop management practices. 

Furthermore, these standards support China’s broader agricultural strategy, which includes enhancing food safety and ensuring sustainable food production. As agro-dealers adopt these guidelines, they contribute to a safer, more sustainable farming system that benefits farmers, consumers, and the environment. 

What lies ahead for PlantwisePlus in China?

The ″Establishment Specification for IPM Promotion Pesticide Stores″ represents a significant effort to promote more sustainable agricultural practices in China. Still, it is just one part of CABI’s broader activities in the region. 

Under the PlantwisePlus programme, CABI also facilitates workshops in China on plant clinic data management and refresher training for plant doctors. These efforts are essential for supporting local agricultural knowledge and enhancing agro-ecosystems.  

In September 2024, CABI’s Keith Holmes visited China to support work on the standard and other ongoing PlantwisePlus work in the country. Alongside Min Wan, their activities, including strategic meetings with agricultural leaders and hands-on workshops, were essential for aligning Sichuan’s agricultural methods with global best practices. Their expertise helped solidify partnerships and advance the implementation of the new standard, showcasing CABI’s commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture in China. 

CABI’s collaborative approach, working closely with local governments and implementation teams, has helped address key challenges and tailor solutions that respect local contexts and needs. This strategy improves agricultural outcomes and strengthens stakeholder relationships across the agricultural sector. 

The continued success of initiatives like these will depend on sustained cooperation and a commitment to learning and adaptation. By leveraging the insights gained from ongoing projects and the standards now set in motion, CABI and its partners are well-positioned to support a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural future in China and beyond.