Toxicology and Societies Presents: Pesticide MRLs Are Meant for Farmers…

But Really Complicate Trade

A montage of a pesticide warning label and a tractor with a yellow tank and spraying arms applying pesticide to crops in a field.

When:

Thu, Nov 7 2024, 11am - 12pm

Location:

Online: Zoom

Price:

Free

Brought to you by:

Institute of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni

Description

Check out this video to watch the Pesticide MRLs Are Meant for Farmers...But Really Complicate Trade.

U.S. farmers face trade challenges due to varying pesticide regulations across countries. Different maximum residue limits (MRLs) for crops can lead to trade violations, even when farmers follow domestic laws.

MRLs, set based on expected residue from proper pesticide use, are not safety limits but trade standards. Their inconsistency across nations creates a complex trade environment for farmers.

This talk will cover MRL establishment, international differences, and their impact on crop protection decisions.

More information about the speaker series is available, as are all past Toxicology and Societies recordings.

A smiling man with short brown and silver hair, wears a dark blazer and blue shirt. He is set against a blue background.

Jason Sandahl

Jason is a co-founder of the Minor Use Foundation, which fosters global partnerships to generate residue data to establish maximum residue limits for minor use crops. In 2021, Jason departed the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service after leading the agency’s international capacity building programs on pesticides for 16 years, focusing on pesticide regulations, residue standards, and cooperative residue research. Jason still continues this work through his consulting group, Ag Aligned Global, that supports U.S. agricultural interests abroad related to pesticide use. In addition to his technical regulatory expertise in pesticides, Jason is a farmer in Oregon, growing cherries, pears and apples, where he needs to make real-life pesticide application decisions throughout the season. These decisions need to weigh protecting his crops against damaging pests vs. complying with foreign maximum residue limit (MRL) standards for trade.

Questions and Accommodations

For inquiries or disability accommodations, contact The Foundation for WWU & Alumni at (360) 650 -3353 or Alumni@wwu.edu.

Please mention special needs when registering.

There will be auto-captions for the Zoom webinar.

The views expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.