📢 You are invited to the next edition of the FARM Knowledge Series, discussing a topic that has the potential to undermine regulatory systems, legitimate markets, and efforts to promote safer and more sustainable pest management. 

This webinar hosted under under the FARM Knowledge Series brings together national regulators, customs authorities, industry representatives, and international organizations to examine practical experiences in combating illegal and counterfeit pesticides. It will explore enforcement approaches, cross-border cooperation, industry collaboration, and multilateral tools that can strengthen national systems.

Illegal and counterfeit pesticides are a serious problem in many countries. These products may be smuggled, fake, unregistered, or falsely labelled. They often bypass safety checks and quality controls. As a result, they can harm farmers’ health, damage crops, contaminate soil and water, and reduce trust.

This session will address how: 

• National challenges countries face in combating illegal and counterfeit pesticides.

• The role of cross-border cooperation and customs enforcement in reducing illegal trade. 

• How industry and regulators can work together to protect supply chains

• The place of international frameworks in supporting national enforcement efforts.

 • Practical steps to strengthen the monitoring and management of illegal pesticides.

Register now!

The article “Agro Tourism: Boon to Sustainable Farming” by Dr. Tanu Sethi is featured in Kurukshetra, a national magazine published by the Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. 

It presents agrotourism as a strategic tool to strengthen rural livelihoods while advancing sustainable agriculture in India. It argues that integrating tourism with farming, particularly organic, can create economic incentives that support environmentally responsible practices and reduce reliance on harmful agrochemicals.

The paper highlights India’s strong agricultural base and the need to diversify income for small and marginal farmers. By connecting visitors directly with farms through homestays, plantation visits, and organic cultivation experiences, agrotourism increases the value of chemical-free and sustainable production. As tourists increasingly seek authentic, safe, and environmentally friendly food systems, farmers gain market-driven motivation to shift toward low-input and organic methods. 
The article also emphasizes capacity building, eco-friendly crop protection, and policy support as key enablers of sustainable agriculture. Agrotourism can reinforce this transition by turning farms into demonstration sites for responsible agriculture, strengthening consumer awareness and rewarding reduced agrochemical use. In this way, tourism becomes a practical lever for accelerating the shift toward safer, regenerative farming systems.
 

Health costs of pesticides estimated at 816 billion globally from pesticides (2023), the biggest of the 4 listed

Soil Health is key to agricultural development, ecosystem functions and food security. 95% of the world's food supply comes from soils - but 33% of our soils are degraded. This happens due to a number of reasons, including unsustainable industrial farming practices, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, and application of harmful agrochemicals and plastics. A shift towards safer, low-input agricultural solutions will improve soil productivity and protect human health and ecosystems. 

On World Soil Day, the GEF-funded Farm Programme experts have shared their reflections on the recent trends in the biocontrol industry:

🌱 Biocontrol research & development diversity and expanding solutions underscore the sector’s strength.
🌱 Corporate venture capital underpins biocontrol’s growth, but institutional investment must expand.
🌱 Data science, digital finance platforms and operational AI technologies are essential infrastructure. 
🌱 Scientific value must align with financial metrics to strengthen investor confidence in biocontrol. 
🌱 Global initiatives like FARM play a key role in supporting dialogue between innovators and finance. 

Read more in the blog post by @Benjamin Warr and @Alison Watson: 

https://www.greenpolicyplatform.org/blog/innovation-adoption-financing-growth-biocontrol-industry

FARM Knowledge Series presents the case study of FARM India: Farmer training models that work. Watch the series here! Driving behaviour change among farmers is key to transitioning to safer alternative solutions to pesticides, yet many struggle to envision the transition despite understanding the importance of biocontrol techniques. See how FARM India works in addressing this issue. Rahul Ponnan Tanu Sethi Shreya Pandey