December 2021
Toxic products used on our fields: fact or fiction?
Interview with the alderman for the environment (agricultural engineer), Johan Forton
Residents are increasingly concerned when they see a tractor spraying a product in a field. Is it harmful or not? Are there any risks for people living near the fields?
First of all, it’s important to know that a farmer’s aim is to produce high-quality food that’s safe to eat. A farmer can apply fertilizers (to promote growth), selective herbicides (to promote cultivation at the expense of weeds), fungicides (to kill plant-parasitic fungi) and insecticides. Only approved products may be used on crops, in strictly regulated quantities. To use these products, farmers need a phytolicence. This is a certificate issued by the federal government which restricts the handling of plant protection products to people with the requisite knowledge, in order to limit as far as possible the risks of these products to human and animal health and the environment. Farmers keep abreast of new developments in pest control through compulsory ongoing training. The introduction of phytolicence follows the entry into force of a European directive on the use of pesticides compatible with sustainable development. The risk to people living near plots is therefore low, since the list of approved products is controlled and limited, and they can only be used by approved and trained farmers.
At the end of 2019, the Communal Council had proposed an information meeting for residents on this subject, which was to be planned for early 2020. The health crisis has come and gone, and this session has not yet been able to take place.