Towards the development of a Voluntary Code of Conduct on the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture
The agricultural sector has witnessed a significant increase in the use of plastics, with an estimated 12.5 million tonnes of plastic products being utilized annually in plant and animal production[1]. Plastics have brought about numerous benefits in food production, such as improved crop yield and efficient water use. However, due to improper management and lack of access to adequate end-of-life management and infrastructure, plastic products used in agriculture are often discarded or abandoned in the environment, leading to potential harm to human health and the environment.
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conducted an in-depth assessment[2] that shed light on both the advantages and challenges posed by plastics in agriculture. The study emphasized the importance of striking a balance between the benefits and trade-offs of plastics used in agriculture, and highlighted the urgent need for global action, improved governance, and inter-sectoral collaboration to address the multifaceted issues surrounding plastic use in agrifood systems.
In line with the recommendations of FAO Council[3] FAO is working on the development of the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture (VCoC). The aim of the VCoC is to provide a policy framework in support of a sustainable use of plastics in agriculture and their alternatives, by assisting policy makers in creating and strengthening policies and strategies, and by providing the other stakeholders along the agri-food value chain recommendations and best practices.
The VCoC will address the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture in the context of agrifood systems transformation towards more efficiency, inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability. It will aim to better balance the benefits and trade-offs of the use of plastics in agriculture to contribute to food security, food safety, nutrition, human health, environmental sustainability and related dimensions of sustainable development (social, economic and environmental).
The consultation process for the development of the Voluntary Code of Conduct on the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture
To inform the development of the VCoC, FAO is carrying out inclusive and geographically representative consultations with a wide range of stakeholders. The consultation process included an Informal Briefing for FAO Members which took place in May 2023, a Global Expert Meeting held in June 2023, and six Regional Multi-Stakeholder Consultations taking place between September and November 2023.
This Call for submissions has been envisioned as a key component of the consultation process to allow a wide range of participants around a globe and across sectors to contribute their inputs towards the development of the VCoC. This call will remain available throughout the duration of the Regional Consultations, offering participants a chance to extend the discussion on the VCoC development and share their views and suggestions online through the FSN Forum.
FAO's Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) invites stakeholders to share good practices and lessons learned on the sustainable use of plastics and agriculture and their alternatives.
You are welcome to respond to any of the questions in the submission template, as per your interest and expertise. Your responses, alongside the feedback we gather during our ongoing webinar consultations, will help inform the first full draft of the VCoC.
Please use this submission template (available in English) to provide your feedback by answering questions in any of the six UN languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese).
To take part in this Call for submissions, please get registered or login to your account on the FSN Forum; download the submission template and upload the completed submission form in the box “Post your contribution” on this webpage. For any technical support regarding downloading or uploading the submission form, please send an email to [email protected].
The Call for Submissions is open until November 7, 2023.
We look forward to receiving your valuable input and learning from your experiences.
Co-Facilitators:
- Lev Neretin, Environment Workstream Lead, Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO
- Alashiya Gordes, Natural Resources Officer, OCB, FAO
- Marilique Nijmeijer, Associate Professional Officer, OCB, FAO
- Matteo Zandonella Bolco, Programme Management Specialist, OCB, FAO
- Giulia Carcasci, Agricultural Plastics and Sustainability Specialist, OCB, FAO
[1] FAO, 2021. Assessment of agricultural plastics and their sustainability. A call for action. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7856en
[2] FAO, 2021. Assessment of agricultural plastics and their sustainability. A call for action. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7856en
[3] FAO, 2022. Report of the Council of FAO. Hundred and Seventy-first Session https://www.fao.org/3/nl148en/nl148en.pdf
- أقرأ 108 المساهمات
The Voluntary Code of Conduct on the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture (VCoC) is sufficient and proactive in damage control and preventing methodology of plastic management across the Food Value Chain. Essential applications of plastics for water retention, water management and soil recycling in food production cannot however be eliminated.
It is important that this forum brings to light the need to collaboration and sharing of ideas.
The sustainable use of plastic can be categorized under the sustainable management of waste. Noteworthy, the new conventions on the management and proliferation of wastes categorizes plastic waste as detrimental to the environment. How much more food consumption.
The containment of leachate and chemical decomposition of plastic materials under extreme heat conditions in some circumstances can give way to food contamination and general defacing of food production, processing and manufacturing.
As is different from the containments in cans and tin, as most food beverage and FMCG companies imbibe in their practices for food packaging, most modern farming practices like indoor farming and hydroponics production induces plastics in growing some foods and vegetables. Although many research has not generalized the harmful effects of such on production, but since plastics pose great risk to the environment generally, it's abuse can be pronounced if widely accepted in food production and agriculture.
For consumer goods operational guidelines, it is advisable to maintain standards among prosumers (producers and consumers) which generally portend producer responsibility if not for one thing, for ethics and standard shift in eliminating plastic waste.
If the FAO continues to lead the standard and regulatory use of plastics in food factories l, production, distribution, and packaging, we can have an alignment with the Global Convention on such systemic change.
The food and beverage alliance has a hold on this intuitively and the promotion of such practices means the increase in awareness to attain a globally acceptable standard and process.
I have submitted this information based on my understanding of this topic.
Dear All.,
Working through this topic and getting multiple contributions for the FAO is really fantastic. I send in my contribution in the hopes that it would help projects and offer a great answer. I appreciate you and wish you well.
https://businessday.ng/opinion/article/transforming-agriculture-in-the-year-2020/
( Transforming agriculture in the year 2020)
https://www.pressreader.com/nigeria/daily-trust/20200924/281638192640728
( Neglect of smaller farmers )
The increasing use of plastic-based dam lining in pond aquaculture is posing a danger to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These can be replaced with more environmentally friendly technologies such as the clay mixtures that are still being experimented on. Besides, the differences in productivity between plastic lined ponds and non-lined earthen ponds does not seem to have been established.
-Use of additives to enhance the circularity of plastics, to enable polymers and to help increase the circularity of plastic packaging.
-Identification of plastic types for enhanced clean sorting of plastic waste to ensure a high circularity of the recycling process.
-Safe cleaning solutions, wetting agents and defoamers for mechanical recycling of plastics.
-Use mechanically recyclable polyethylene/polyamide multilayer films, soil-biodegradable biopolymer and compostable bioplastics in flexible packaging applications.
-Chemical recycling of plastics with residues and mixed plastic waste fractions, consisting of different plastic types, which will not be sorted further.
-Reduce the plastic footprint throughout the product life cycle including operating plastic recycling centers at the production sites and recycling empty plastic containers following their used by the farmers.
I am novice to this forum. Therefore, less need to be expected from me but gradually i will get through.
السيدة Repa Kustipia
Dear Organizer and Co-Facilitators :
Here I attached a document for submission about VCoC for Agriculture in Indonesia (Towards the development of a Voluntary Code of Conduct on the sustainable use of plastics in agriculture).
Best Regards,
Repa Kustipia - CS-IFA
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