Environment: Use and alternatives for pesticides

This document deals with practical information on pesticides and their alternatives. The use of pesticides can have various environmental and health impacts. These negative impacts are becoming more and more important; on national levels as well as on an international level agreements are signed to ban the most hazardous pesticides. Therefore, it is important to be aware how to use pesticides and which alternatives are available. Since hazardous pesticides may have negative environmental as well as health impacts, farmers and workers who deal with pesticides should be familiar with the possible negative effects. Also, they should handle pesticides in a way that will not or less effect their health and the environment.

In this document you will find first a description of practical information for users of pesticides. Next, alternative methods are described: natural pesticides, biological pest control, integrated pest management (IPM) and biotechnology.