Wild bee toxicity data for pesticide risk assessments

Pollination services are vital for agriculture, food security and biodiversity. Although many insect species provide pollination services, honeybees are thought to be the major provider of this service to agriculture. However, the importance of wild bees in this respect should not be overlooked. Whilst regulatory risk assessment processes have, for a long time, included that for pollinators, using honeybees (Apis mellifera) as a protective surrogate, there are concerns that this approach may not be suffciently adequate particularly because of global declines in pollinating insects. Consequently, risk assessments are now being expanded to include wild bee species such as bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and solitary bees (Osmia spp.). However, toxicity data for these species is scarce and are absent from the main pesticide reference resources. The aim of the study described here was to collate data relating to the acute toxicity of pesticides to wild bee species (both topical and dietary exposure) from published regulatory documents and peer reviewed literature, and to incorporate this into one of the main online resources for pesticide risk assessment data: The Pesticide Properties Database, thus ensuring that the data is maintained and continuously kept up to date. The outcome of this study is a dataset collated from 316 regulatory and peer reviewed articles that contains 178 records covering 120 different pesticides and their variants which includes 142 records for bumblebees and a further 115 records for other wild bee species.Peer reviewe

Evidence for the effects of neonicotinoids used in arable crop production on non-target organisms and concentrations of residues in relevant matrices: a systematic map protocol

Background Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) have been routinely used in arable crop protection since their development in the early 1990s. These insecticides have been subject to the same registration procedures as other groups of pesticides, thus meet the same environmental hazard standards as all crop protection products. However, during the last 10 years the debate regarding their possible detrimental impact on non-target organisms, particularly pollinators, has become increasingly contentious and widely debated. Against this background, legislators and politicians in some countries, have been faced with a need to make decisions on the future registration of some or all of this class of insecticides, based on published evidence that in some areas is incomplete or limited in extent. This has created much concern in agricultural communities that consider that the withdrawal of these insecticides is likely to have significant negative economic, socio-economic and environmental consequences. Methods The proposed systematic map aims to address the following primary question: What is the available evidence for the effects of neonicotinoids used in arable crop production on non-target organisms and concentrations of residues in relevant matrices? The primary question will be divided into two sub-questions to gather research literature for (1) the effect of NNIs on non-target organisms (2) the occurrence of concentrations of NNIs in matrices of relevance to non-target organisms (i.e. exposure routes). The systematic map will focus on NNIs used in arable crop production: imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, thiacloprid and dinotefuran. Separate inclusion criteria have been developed for each sub-question. Traditional academic and grey literature will be searched for in English language and a searchable databases containing extracted meta-data from relevant included studies will be developed

Past and Ongoing Tsetse and Animal Trypanosomiasis Control Operations in Five African Countries: A Systematic Review

Background Control operations targeting Animal African Trypanosomiasis and its primary vector, the tsetse, were covering approximately 128,000 km2 of Africa in 2001, which is a mere 1.3% of the tsetse infested area. Although extensive trypanosomiasis and tsetse (T&T) control operations have been running since the beginning of the 20th century, Animal African Trypanosomiasis is still a major constraint of livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a systematic review of the existing literature describing T&T control programmes conducted in a selection of five African countries, namely Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zambia, between 1980 and 2015. Sixty-eight documents were eventually selected from those identified by the database search. This was supplemented with information gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted with twelve key informants recruited in the study countries and selected based on their experience and knowledge of T&T control. The combined information from these two sources was used to describe the inputs, processes and outcomes from 23 major T&T control programmes implemented in the study countries. Although there were some data gaps, involvement of the target communities and sustainability of the control activities were identified as the two main issues faced by these programmes. Further, there was a lack of evaluation of these control programmes, as well as a lack of a standardised methodology to conduct such evaluations. Conclusions/Significance Past experiences demonstrated that coordinated and sustained control activities require careful planning, and evidence of successes, failures and setbacks from past control programmes represent a mine of information. As there is a lack of evaluation of these programmes, these data have not been fully exploited for the design, analyses and justification of future control programmes

Environmental risk assessment of PPP application in European soils and potential ecosystem service losses considering impacts on non-target organisms

The use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) is leading to high exposure scenarios with potential risk to soil organisms, including non-target species. Assessment of the effects of PPPs on non-target organisms is one of the most important components of environmental risk assessment (ERA) since they play crucial functions in ecosystems, being main driving forces in different soil processes. As part of the framework, EFSA is proposing the use of the ecosystem services approach for setting specific protection goals. In fact, the services provided by soil organisms can be impacted by the misuse of PPPs in agroecosystems. The aim of this work was to assess PPPs potential risk upon ecosystem services along European soils, considering impacts on earthworms and collembola. Four well-known (2 insecticides-esfenvalerate and cyclaniliprole- and 2 fungicides - picoxystrobin and fenamidone-) worst case application (highest recommended application) were studied; exploring approaches for linked observed effects with impacts on ecosystem services, accounting for their mode of action (MoA), predicted exposure, time-course effects in Eisenia fetida and Folsomia sp. and landscape variability. The selected fungicides exerted more effects than insecticides on E. fetida, whereas few effects were reported for both pesticides regarding Folsomia sp. The most impacted ecosystem services after PPP application to crops appeared to be habitat provision, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, erosion regulation, soil remediation/waste treatment and pest and disease regulation. The main factors to be taken into account for a correct PPP use management in crops are discussed.This work has been partially funded by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through the grant NP/EFSA/AFSCO/2016/03. The author Miguel J.G. Santos is employed with the EFSA in the PREV Unit. The author Jose V Tarazona was employed by EFSA until October 2022. The present article is published under the sole responsibility of the au thors and may not be considered as an EFSA scientific output. The po sitions and opinions presented in this article are those of the authors alone and do not represent the views of EFSA.S

Safety and Socio-Economic Issues Raised by Modern Biotechnology

Modern new biotechnology has the potential to provide major economic and other benefits, but at the same time it poses potential hazards for human health, the environment, the ‘natural’ biological order and can have adverse socio-economic consequences. The application of such technology frequently violates traditional ethical, moral and religious values. This paper after outlining possible benefits of modern new biotechnologies, discusses the type of biosafety risks which they pose, their possible adverse consequences for the sustainability of biodiversity and agriculture and their potential impacts on socioeconomic welfare and traditional cultures. Particular concern is expressed about the possible consequences of such technologies for developing countries and the practice in some developed countries of issuing patents conferring very broad rights over the use of genetically engineered material. Because these rights are so broad in some cases they have the potential to establish powerful multinational monopolies in the hands of private companies. Global debate about these issues suggest that more emphasis should be given globally to the socio-economic consequences of such technology than in the past. The need for this is highlighted by the North-South divide. Developing countries lag considerably in this new technological field, are placed in a dependant position and have weak institutional structures to control the application of such technologybiotechnology, socio-economic policy, genetic engineering, biodiversity, biosafety, patents, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Scientific Opinion on the pest categorisation of Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne and Radopholus citrophilus Huettel, Dickson and Kaplan

The European Commission requested that the EFSA Panel on Plant Health perform a pest categorisation for Radopholus similis and Radopholus citrophilus. R. similis is regulated in Annex II, Part A, Section II of Council Directive 2000/29/EC as a harmful organism known to occur in the European Union (EU). R. citrophilus is regulated in Annex II, Part A, Section I of Council Directive 2000/29/EC as a harmful organism not known to occur in the EU. This pest characterisation applies only to R. similis, because R. citrophilus has been recognised as an invalid species designation and is considered as a junior synonym of R. similis. R. similis is a distinct taxonomic entity that is absent in the field production sites (citrus, bananas) of the risk assessment area and can cause significant losses in citrus production. Moreover, various susceptible hosts other than citrus species are present in the EU under climatic conditions that are suitable for the development of R. similis. The pest has a sporadic presence on ornamental plants (under protected cultivation) in a few EU countries. Plants for planting are a pathway for introduction and spread of R. similis. The pest is observed to cause impacts on ornamentals in some MSs and further impacts are expected should further spread happen in the EU

Pest categorisation of Hishimonus phycitis

24The Panelon Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Hishimonusphycitis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) for the EU. H.phycitis is a well-defined species, occurring in tropical and subtropical Asian countries from Iran to Malaysia. H.phycitis is polyphagous. Hosts of particular relevance to the EU include Citrus spp. and Solanummelongena. While harmful in its own right as a leafhopper extracting host nutrients through feeding, it is regarded in the Middle East more significantly as a vector of Witches' broom disease of lime phytoplasma, which limits production of Citrusaurantifolia, and in India as a vector of brinjal little-leaf phytoplasma impacting S.melongena yields. H.phycitis is currently regulated by Council Directive 2000/29/EC, listed in Annex II/AI as Hishomonus phycitis (sic). Eggs planted on host plants for planting could provide a pathway for entry into the EU. The EU has eco-climatic conditions that are also found in countries where H.phycitis occurs although it is unknown whether H.phycitis occurs in those areas. There is therefore considerable uncertainty around EU establishment. Any establishment is likely to be limited to the warmest areas around the Mediterranean. As a free-living organism with adults capable of flight, spread within the EU would be possible but confined to the limited area where establishment could occur. Measures are available to inhibit entry via traded commodities (e.g. prohibition on the introduction of Citrus plants for planting; sourcing other hosts from pest free areas). H.phycitis does satisfy all of the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess to be regarded as a Union quarantine pest. It is uncertain if eggs of H.phycitis would carry phytoplasmas into the EU as transovarial transmission from infected females to eggs has not been demonstrated.openopenJeger, Michael; Bragard, Claude; Caffier, David; Candresse, Thierry; Chatzivassiliou, Elisavet; Dehnen‐Schmutz, Katharina; Gilioli, Gianni; Gregoire, Jean‐Claude; Jaques Miret, Josep Anton; Navarro, Maria Navajas; Niere, Björn; Parnell, Stephen; Potting, Roel; Rafoss, Trond; Rossi, Vittorio; Urek, Gregor; Van Bruggen, Ariena; Van der Werf, Wopke; West, Jonathan; Winter, Stephan; Gardi, Ciro; Aukhojee, Mitesha; Bergeretti, Filippo; MacLeod, AlanJeger, Michael; Bragard, Claude; Caffier, David; Candresse, Thierry; Chatzivassiliou, Elisavet; Dehnen‐schmutz, Katharina; Gilioli, Gianni; Gregoire, Jean‐claude; Jaques Miret, Josep Anton; Navarro, Maria Navajas; Niere, Björn; Parnell, Stephen; Potting, Roel; Rafoss, Trond; Rossi, Vittorio; Urek, Gregor; Van Bruggen, Ariena; Van der Werf, Wopke; West, Jonathan; Winter, Stephan; Gardi, Ciro; Aukhojee, Mitesha; Bergeretti, Filippo; Macleod, Ala

Implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act among fruit and vegetable processors in the North Central Region

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a food safety law that changed the way food companies are regulated to prevent foodborne illnesses. The FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food rule was released September 2016 for facilities in manufacturing, processing, packing, and holding of human food. The North Central Region (NCR) Center for FSMA Training, Extension and Technical Assistance was founded by the Food and Drug Administration to assist with the education of processors around the Midwest. The NCR Center funded a project with three phases designed to help small fruit and vegetable processors in the Midwest understand their relationship with FSMA. Phase one was an audit checklist, phase two was extension fact sheets, and phase three was a needs assessment survey for processors. A prior needs assessment disseminated to growers in the NCR identified checklists and fact sheets as preferred methods of receiving educational materials about FSMA. The results from the grower needs assessment were translated into a checklist for processors. An audit checklist for processors to use in their facilities was designed in phase one. This checklist provided processors with a tool to determine their compliance with several parts of FSMA. Extension facts sheets were developed in phase two to help processors know their state food safety regulations. Topics in the fact sheets were post-harvest processing methods such as freezing, dehydrating, fermenting, pickling, and canning of jam and jelly products. The final phase was the design and dissemination of a needs assessment survey to processors in the NCR to determine what additional materials can be provided to help the population. Questions were asked about the processor’s understanding of the FSMA. Food safety professionals representing each processor responded to the survey. The needs assessment identified Amendments to Registration of Food Facilities, validation of the food safety plan, and the supply-chain programs as specific areas of FSMA processors would like assistance with. The needs assessment also verified the interest in the previously developed materials. Overall, the project increases the knowledge of FSMA among fruit and vegetable processors in the NCR