CropLife Asia
Based in Singapore, CropLife Asia is part of a global federation representing the plant science industry. On the industry’s behalf, we address and advocate Asia and international developments with regards to crop protection and agricultural biotechnology. Our aim is to promote and advocate approaches that enhance sustainable agriculture in the interests of farmers, governments, consumers and the environment.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Service provider
- Industry Type:
- Agriculture
- Market Focus:
- Internationally (various countries)
About Us
For us, sustainable agriculture means employing a wide range of solutions incorporating nature and technology, which can:
- Meet the world’s growing food needs;
- Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base;
- Make efficient use of technologies, renewable resources, and on-farm resources while integrating natural biological cycles;
- Sustain the economic viability of the farm and farmers; and
- Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society.
We are at the forefront of providing transparent information to a variety of stakeholders and welcome open dialogue with parties interested in sustainable agriculture.
Our Organization
CropLife Asia is part of a global federation representing the plant science industry. On the industry’s behalf, we address Asia and international developments with regards to crop protection and agricultural biotechnology.
Based in Singapore, CropLife Asia is a regional unit of CropLife International in which the latter spearheads our global federation representing the plant science industry in over 90 countries.
CropLife Asia directs and supports the work of 15 CropLife Member Associations and the CropLife Plant Biotech Network across the Asia Pacific region.
CropLife Asia Crop Protection Member Associations
As a regional unit of CropLife International, a global federation of the plant science industry in over 90 countries, CropLife Asia supports the work of 15 member associations and is led by 10 member companies at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development.
Our Mission
CropLife Asia‘s mission is to help farmers grow sufficient amounts of a growing population through access to innovative technologies.
This means:
- Growing more food for more people, on less land with greater efficiency
- to obtain a safe, secure food supply;
- Practising crop protection, biotechnology and seeds stewardship for sustainable
- and safe farming and production while minimizing environmental impact; and
- Protecting intellectual property to foster continuous innovation and its effective
- deployment for food, animal feed, fibre, and renewable energy.
Our Vision
A region where productive food and agricultural systems – enabled through innovative crop science and technologies – contribute to improving food security and the living standards of all in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner.
Our Values
Respect
- We will respect the views and values of others and act with honesty, humility and humanity.
- We will seek the respect of others for our values and beliefs
Openness
- Communication will be a fundamental priority in all our activities.
- We will act with openness in all our dealings with stakeholders and actively engage in dialogue, exchanging opinions and facts, in order to increase society’s understanding of our industry and our understanding of society.
Commitment
- We will commit to serve our members and stakeholders operating to the highest possible standards of professionalism ensuring the effective and prudent management of our resources.
Technology
- We believe in the benefits that technology brings to human development and progress, and to sustainable agriculture.
- We believe in the complementary and synergistic nature of technologies developed and offered by the plant science industry.
- We believe in science as the engine of innovation and the core principle of regulatory decision-making.
Sustainability
- We are committed to promoting full and effective stewardship (the responsible and ethical management of a plant protection or biotechnology product throughout its life cycle) to the field level, and recognise that the appropriate management and use of our products is an important element underpinning sustainable agriculture.
- We will strive to work together with others to achieve a proper balance between all dimensions/pillars of sustainable development.
- We will strive to maintain a healthy, ethical and viable business environment for the plant science industry.
Member Companies
CropLife Asia Member Companies
CropLife Asia advocates for the plant science industry in the Asia Pacific region. We are financially supported by eight dedicated member companies and two associate companies that also assist with the advocacy activities and associated projects managed by the CropLife Asia secretariat.
Each of these companies highlighted below are at the forefront of crop protection, seeds and/or biotechnology research and development.
Our Focus
The plant science industry is facing a number of challenges which threaten the viability of sustainable agriculture and interrelated issues such as food security. As a direct result of this, CropLife Asia has focused and prioritized its advocacy efforts in several key areas including:
- Crop Protectionfocus_300
- Biotechnology
- Regulatory Affairs
- Stewardship
- Counterfeiting & Intellectual Property
- International Trade
These industry-wide priorities are not mutually exclusive but interrelated. For example, we need to overcome many crop protection and biotechnology-related regulatory barriers to address sustainable agriculture to enhance food security across Asia.
Likewise, we need to combat the persistent use of illegal and counterfeit plant science products that undermine intellectual property rights, and which deter the transfer of innovative yield-improving technologies to farmers through expert stewardship programs.
CropLife Asia is tackling these complex and interrelated issues to achieve sustainable agriculture that alleviates hunger and malnutrition.
Crop Protection
Pesticide and Agrochemical
Crop protection products, commonly referred to as pesticides or agrochemical products, are both naturally occurring and man-made (synthetic) chemicals that play a vital role in controlling the diseases, insects and weeds that harm or destroy our food crops and threaten public health. With growing global populations that constantly challenge food production, crop protection products offer a means towards meeting the challenge of more food from less land.
There are serious challenges for farmers and the food crops they grow. For example, crops must compete with 30,000 species of weeds, 3,000 species of nematodes or roundworms, and 10,000 species of plant-eating insects. We know that despite the use of modern crop protection products, 20-40 percent of potential food production is still lost every year to pests. These losses can occur while the crop is growing in the field, when it is in storage and in the home. In short, an adequate and reliable food supply cannot be guaranteed without the use of crop protection products.
Therefore, chemical crop protection is used as a means to help farmers improve agricultural productivity, contribute to food security and alleviate poverty. These benefits are not confined to the users of pesticides, but reach the great majority of people across the world.
crop-protection_300Today, consumers expect to choose from an abundant supply of fresh, high quality foods that meet our nutritional needs, whilst being affordable and accessible all year-round. So it is critical to recognize that crop protection bring numerous benefits and make a significant contribution to the lifestyles we have come to expect.
However, the general public often oppose the use of pesticides, but they make possible the year-round availability of high-quality, affordable food. Similarly, the environment and wild plants, birds and animals benefit from the carefully regulated application of chemical pesticides.
The safety of pesticides for users, consumers, and environmental impact is carefully and highly regulated. Product registrations and permitting sale within a country are based upon comprehensive safety assessments and defined product uses. Each product has a specific application that is clearly indicated on the label. Whilst these regulatory aspects are carefully considered prior to commercial sale, the lifecycle approach to pesticide management dictates that manufacturers also extend their safety considerations through the entire lifespan of the product. This commitment is referred to as “product stewardship”.
In summary, CropLife Asia helps the industry to advocate and highlight that:
- Chemical crop protection products or “pesticides” help control insects, diseases, weeds, fungi and other undesirable pests
- Pesticides comprise a wide range of products for both professional and home applications including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, sanitizers, growth regulators, rodenticides, and soil fumigants
- The use of chemical crop protection in all contexts is highly regulated
- The regulatory framework of pesticides encompasses national, regional, and international legislation and conventions that help assure safety for users, consumers and the environment
- The lifecycle approach to pesticide management dictates that safety considerations are adhered to through the entire lifespan of the product.
Biotechnology
The use of biotechnology in agriculture offers unique and exciting opportunities for nations across Asia. Our global member companies have some of the best biotechnology scientists in the world and they have the capacity to develop new crops that will help agriculture to continue its vital role in the economies of Asia.
Modern biotechnology allows plants breeders to select genes that produce beneficial traits and move them from one organism to another. Plant biotechnology is far more precise and selective than crossbreeding in producing desired agronomic traits and, a little known fact is that for thousands of years, farmers have been using breeding techniques to “genetically modify” crops to improve quality and yield.
biotech_300Today, plant biotechnology has been adopted by farmers worldwide at rates never before seen by any other advances in the history of agriculture. In 2011, biotech crops were grown by 16.7 million farmers on 160 million hectares in 29 countries. The reason for such impressive adoption rates is simple: plant biotechnology delivers significant and tangible benefits, all the way from the farm to fork. Plant biotechnology has enabled to improve farming techniques and crop production around the world by increasing plants’ resistance to diseases and pests; reducing pesticide applications; and maintaining and improving crop yields.
There are issues to resolve with agricultural biotechnology, some of them are challenging. CropLife Asia is committed to addressing concerns by deploying the best scientific research and other information in credible and understandable ways to variety of stakeholders. Our research and experience tells us that the more governments, NGOs and other consumers learn about plant biotechnology, the more they will welcome it into the marketplace.
We all can support a technology that can increase harvests, that helps us meet our energy needs, and create products that are able to grow in drought-stricken and other inhospitable areas. We all care about giving farmers better tools to improve productivity and raise their living standards. As an engine of economic growth, agriculture can help alleviate the poverty that still afflicts so much of Asia and the rest of the world, and biotechnology can help agriculture do the simple, but still elusive, job of ensuring that hungry people have enough to eat. And because many more biotech products in the pipeline offer more nutritious or tasty food, we all stand to benefit directly.
The Challenges
From feeding a population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, to protecting biodiversity and natural habitats, the world’s farmers are faced with many significant challenges.
What’s more, they’re under increasing pressure from a changing climate that threatens their ability to grow our food sustainably, while providing for their family and community. As a result, farmers need innovative solutions to protect lands and minimize their environmental footprint, while simultaneously creating sustainable livelihoods for themselves and others along the supply chain.
Providing access to plant science technologies, as well as the knowledge and skills to use them responsibly, will help farmers meet the challenges of rising demands for food, feed, fuel and fibre.
Better seeds and plant protections made possible by plant science and are already enabling many farmers to reduce their environmental footprint and improve their incomes to ensure agricultural sustainability.