BRUSSELS, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- Crop Protection Industry Intensifies Water Protection Measures

Today a strong delegation of more than 90 people, representing research institutes, national authorities, farmer associations, water industry and crop protection industry, gathered in Brussels for the TOPPS-prowadis* workshop to exchange views and discuss practical solutions for professional pesticide users on how to best mitigate water contamination from diffuse sources.

"What we describe as diffuse sources is the pesticide run-off and drift on the field level" - Philippe Costrop, project chairmen of the initiative explained. "As diffuse sources are often the main cause of water contamination, we want to offer concrete recommendations available for farmers to protect water."

"Under TOPPS-prowadis projects we have been preparing best management practices (the BMPs) full of advice, training materials and information for farmers with tools on how to reduce losses of crop protection products to water bodies.  Now you can also find them on our freshly launched website (http://www.topps-life.org)" - Philippe Costrop added.

Continuing on from the previous year's TOPPS projects the TOPPS-prowadis, run by the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) in collaboration with numerous EU partners, plans to reach out to 350,000 farmers and their advisors, land managers and pesticide operators in key European agricultural markets, addressing main European water protection issues and the new pesticides legislative requirements.

"One of the main water related "Time to Change" projects,  the crop protection industry plans to expand the TOPPS-prowadis initiative going forward to all EU member states" - said Friedhelm Schmider Director General of European Crop Protection Association (ECPA).

"Studies have proven that with simple risk mitigation measures and best management practices 80% of water contamination can be prevented. Minor modifications applied by the farmer can have a significant impact on water quality. The understanding that it can be markedly improved by knowledge transfer to the field has been driving all of our efforts"- Friedhelm Schmider concluded.

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) represents the crop protection industry interests at European level. Its members include all major
companies and national associations across Europe.

For more general information:
http://www.ecpa.eu
http://www.hungry4change.eu/
facebook.com/cropprotection
twitter.com/cropprotection

For the online version please follow the link: http://www.ecpa.eu/news-item/environmental-protection/04-24-2012/665/reducing-pesticides-water

*TOPPS-prowadis (Protecting Water from Diffuse Sources): http://www.topps-life.org

SOURCE European Crop Protection Association (ECPA)