FiBL-Position Paper
Use of spinosad in Swiss organic agriculture
(18.05.2005)
History
Spinosad has been submitted for registration in
Switzerland in 2000. When it was registered, it has been proposed
for inclusion into the Swiss inputs list for organic agriculture
in 2001. The private standard organizations Bio-Suisse and Migros-Bio
concluded that, based on the current state of knowledge, spinosad
was acceptable for use in organic agriculture (see below). As a
result, it was permitted for selected vegetables and ornamental
plants. In 2002, the use was extended to grapevine, and later to
apples and pears.
The assessment concluded that
- Spinosad is compatible with the Swiss Organic Farming Ordinance,
the FAO/WHO ‘Codex Alimentarius’ standards and
the requirements of the American ‘National Organic Program’ (NOP).
It also fulfils the requirements of the IFOAM criteria, as
it is a substance produced by microorganisms (see IFOAM guidelines
2000).
- The microorganism is not a GMO (confirmed and signed by the
submitting company) but a chemical mutant.
- The risk of impact to the environment was considered as acceptable,
as the US EPA categorized spinosad as a ‘reduced risk product’.
The topical acute activity against honeybees is less than 1 g
per bee, which places spinosad in the “highly toxic to
bees” category
of the EPA. Once residues have dried completely, toxicity for
foraging bees is considered negligible. In addition, spinosad
is relatively short-lived in the field and photodegrades rapidly,
with half-lives less than one day.
- Spinosad was first regarded as an insecticide with a narrow
activity spectrum (lepidopterans and some species of other
orders) and low side-effects on beneficials. Therefore, it was
considered an interesting alternative to broad spectrum insecticides
like pyrethrum or rotenone. However, novel data show a broader
range of activity. Therefore, each crop/application will have
to be considered separately, to safeguard minimum environmental
impact.
- Leaching data show that spinosad and its aged residues are
unlikely to leach in most soils, are relatively immobile and
pose little threat to ground water.
- The composition (e.g. additives) is compliant with the requirements
for the Swiss inputs list (neither Swiss nor European organic
legislation make restrictions in this respect).
Conclusions
Spinosad fits with the guidelines of the Swiss organic farmers’ associations
and with the Swiss organic legislation, and was therefore included
in the FiBL inputs list. Its use is currently restricted to horticultural
crops, grapevine and ornamentals, while allowance for use in arable
crops is unlikely.
The inclusion in the inputs list is subject to an annual re-evaluation
and depends on registration status at state level, new results
on environmental toxicity, and on assessments of organic acceptability
at national and international level.
International outlook
Since 2000, evaluations and discussions in other
countries have intensified. The latest thorough assessment, which
also includes a list of recent literature, has been provided by
OMRI for the US. The assessment panel concluded
that spinosad is compatible with organic agriculture and suggests
inclusion into the NOSB list.
The discussion process in the EU is still ongoing. Once completed,
its outcome will strongly influence the Swiss assessment as well.
In the course of the Concerted Action project ‘ORGANIC INPUTS
EVALUATION, an informal assessment
of spinosad involving various international experts is planned
for the near future.
As of: 18.05.2005, Eric Wyss, Lucius Tamm, Bernhard Speiser and
Franco Weibel
Further information:
 OMRI (.pdf)
EPA
fact sheet (.pdf)
Project ‘Organic
Inputs Evaluation’
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