Page 54 - RealDirtENG2020

Sheri Mangin
Common question: What about pesticides?
Yes, there are rules for those too.
Pesticides, also called crop protection products, are one of the most effective tools available to farmers to keep insects, weeds, and diseases from damaging and destroying fruits, vegetables, and eld crops. They also let farmers grow more food on less land, which helps preserve natural forests, wetlands, and other wildlife habitats, while ensuring we all have enough to eat.
Canadian farmers have to follow strict rules, and are only allowed to buy and use products that the government has found to be safe for people and the environment. That’s the responsibility of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), a part of Health Canada, and products are only approved for use after years of review and testing have proven that they’re both safe and effective. In some provinces, farmers must be tested and certi ed before using these products.
Farmers follow best practices when working with pesticides to make sure that the products are used safely. For example, they make sure they’re not applying them on windy days, so that the spray doesn’t “drift” away from weeds onto areas where it isn’t supposed to be. Wearing personal protective equipment is another best practice to ensure worker safety.
Career Pro le
Regulatory Affairs Manager
B Pratyusha Chennupati
B. Pratyusha Chennupati, a chemical engineer from India, moved to Canada in 2010 to pursue her master’s degree in plant science at McGill University. Since then, she has worked as a plant scientist and regulatory specialist for companies that design products that help farmers protect their crops from pests and diseases.
Throughout the lengthy evaluation process for a new product, Chennupati works with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency to ensure they have all the necessary research and information to determine whether it meets the safety and ef cacy requirements. “These are important tools for food production but must be evaluated at high levels to ensure that they are not only effective, but also to protect the health of Canadians and the environment.”
In 2020, Chennupati was selected to sit on
the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. The council is a consultative body to the Canadian government that brings together young Canadians with a diverse set of perspectives and expertise and are engaged and passionate about the future of the agri-food sector.
54
The Real Dirt on Farming
About glyphosate
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is the most widely used weed control product in agriculture. It’s one of many tools farmers use to control weeds in crops like canola, soybeans, and corn, or before planting other crops. To prevent weeds from becoming resistant to the product, and therefore uncontrollable, farmers will rotate pesticides or active ingredients (that’s the main ingredient in a pesticide that actually controls the weeds).
After reviewing more than 1,300 studies, Health Canada has found that, when used according to the label directions, Roundup will not cause cancer or pose other risks to people or the environment126.