The Turkish government is overhauling current agricultural law, adding an amendment that will prohibit unsafe use of dangerous pesticides and chemicals and aiming to bring it into accordance with Modern European Union law.
Existing legislation, established in 1957, is outdated and does little to protect the environment and humans from harm caused by chemicals and pesticides. In fact, it is seen to encourage farmers to use such products to order to maintain – and to increase – exportation rates by reducing the risk of damage caused by insects.
This new legislation represents a move away from the “zero tolerance” policy that was enacted following problems with Turkish exports found to be infected with fruit fly. To avoid such problems farmers were encouraged to use pesticides and rid their crops of disease.
If passed, new legislation will require farmers to receive official approval prior to using pesticides and chemicals on their land. In addition, farmers will need to obtain a “plant health certificate” which proves that any exported or imported plant is free of harmful organisms.
Source:
Today’s Zaman