CropLife Asia supports regulatory harmonisation through its participation in several regional and global initiatives, including:
:: Globally Harmonised System (GHS)
:: Harmonisation of pesticide residue limits

Win-win solution
for regulators, industry and farmers

Over the past decade, regulatory agencies worldwide have called on the plant science industry to carry out more and increasingly complex tests to show that any new industry-developed crop protection product meets national requirements.  And industry has kept up with this demand by devoting more science, time and money on product development. But now regulatory agencies have to live through the rising costs and efforts of reviewing and regulating crop protection products in the light of these more stringent demands. Is there a more efficient way to bring crop protection products from the lab to farmers’ fields?

Regulatory harmonisation presents a win-win answer for regulatory agencies, the industry and the ultimate users of the product. Harmonisation aims to streamline the process of getting safe and effective products to farmers, with the added benefit of promoting sound regulatory policies. For example, it makes sense for Asian countries with similar climates to share common data requirements, regulatory test guidelines and even regulatory review processes for crop protection products. More importantly, harmonisation eases the work of regulators and supports the accountability of governments to regulate crop protection products.

Know more about
Agricultural chemical pesticide registration OECD

Read the
Fact sheet on international regulation of pesticide

Globally Harmonised System (GHS)
CropLife Asia supports the sound implementation of the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). This new internationally agreed tool is intended for evaluating and communicating chemical hazards through product labels.

In agriculture, product labels are our primary communication tool to farmers for the responsible and effective handling of crop protection products. We therefore help regulators address the application of GHS to crop protection products in a way that does not undermine the already well-established system of communication through product labels. Only then can we ensure that regulatory processes will continue to serve the interests of farmers, their health and the environment.

Download the CropLife Asia presentation
Perspectives of the agricultural chemicals industry
on applicability of GHS Christine Kelly, APEC GHS Implementation Seminar
21 September 2006

Read the CropLife International position paper on
Implementation of the Globally Harmonised System
of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

Harmonisation of pesticide residue limits
CropLife Asia promotes regulatory harmonisation also through our support of the ASEAN initiative on the regional harmonisation of pesticide residue limits (Maximum residue limits or MRL) in food crops.

Read more about the
Benefits of regulatory harmonisation in Asia