Et maintenant……….. ………… pour la mauvaise nouvelle!

La presentation est en Anglais! Veuillez utiliser les écouteurs et capter la chaine 4

Sustainable organic cocoa production using Pyrethrum 5EW an organic insecticide from Agropharm Ltd Mr Geoffrey Foxon Managing Director Agropharm Ltd

Presentation outline What is sustainable agronomics Definition Benefits Problems Organic cocoa production with an organic insecticide The future for sustainable agriculture

Sustainable Agronomics The objective is to provide a method of farming that is sustainable Objectives Environment preserved and improved Integrated pest management (IPM) Minimal pesticide use Preserve natural predators of insect pests Rejection of toxic chemicals that can damage the user or the environment Socio-economic practice ensuring a fair reward for farmers Mixed cropping patterns

Key sustainability drivers Environment No toxic chemicals in the soil No danger for wildlife No threat to beneficial insects Operator exposure to toxic pesticides is eliminated Business Economic model that supports all members of the value chain Consumer No toxic residues in the harvested crop

How do we achieve sustainability? Practice integrated crop management Use inputs that will not damage or contaminate the soil Control by certification the input used Understand the cropping environment and agronomy Pest problems Beneficial insects Soil fertility and crop requirements Understand the business economics and the requirements of the local community

Sustainability is not easy Few products to support sustainable production High cost of products compared to conventional products Lack of financial support for programmes Lack of knowledge of available products Understanding of the certification process by farmers There is a need to support the grower financially and technically

One possible sustainable solution with Pyrethrum 5EW and organic cocoa A natural organic insecticide developed by Agropharm Ltd Water based Proven to work globally against all insects Non toxic Not persistent in the environment Leaves no residues Organic certification with Ecocert Registered internationally and supported fully

Pyrethrin residue levels in crops Time after application (Days) Residue mg/kg fruit EU MRL 1.0 mg/kg

Pyrethrum 5EW Not just for organic markets Markets where consumers demand no pesticide residues Supermarkets e.g. Tesco/Marks& Spencer recommend only specified products Risk of exported crops being banned if found to have pesticide residues not allowed in the EU or above the MRL

Pyrethrum 5EW Fits the sustainable profile Low persistence in environment Zero residues in crops Can be use in fruit and vegetables as well as cocoa, bananas and coffee Can it be made to work? ecomically socially

Need for insect control in cocoa Pods are damaged by mirids/capsids and yields are reduced Only organic insecticides can be used Not contaminated with toxic pesticides Residue free Food retailers e.g. supermarkets do not want to be sued by consumer groups for pesticide containing food Ghana is key as a massive exporter of organic cocoa

Ghana organic cocoa beans Organic project for 7 years and covers 10,000 hectares Researched by Cocoa Research Institute Ghana Supported by COCOBOD and managed by Yayra Glover Ltd Uses Pyrethrum 5EW to control mirids Crop yield increased Quality improvements

Cocoa Grower Cocoa Buyer Chocolate Manufacturer Retail sales pest control fertilisers IPM training Grower certification Certified organic Cocoa Premium price paid to grower to support local employment and input costs Local employment Sustainable organic production of organic cocoa in Ghana

Sustainable organic cocoa Yayra Glover project Ghana Project benefits Organic cocoa for sale to the EU Employment for local people Training for farmers Protection of environment Safety of spray operators from toxic pesticides A symbol of hope for the future

Conclusions Pyrethrum and sustainable crop systems Pyrethrum 5EW can be used to control insect pests in sustainable crop systems Pyrethrum 5EW is part of the system but needs to be integrated into a holistic approach taking into account Crop management Local economy Soil management End use markets Successful examples of its use have been shown in organic cocoa

Thank you for your attention