Crop Protection and Food Safety: Challenges and Prospects for Sustainable Agriculture

Описание: Dr. Kondow oversees crop protection at the Agronomic Research Center of the Forest Zone of Togo – one of the four regional centers operated by ITRA and where coffee and cocoa are mainly grown.

Abstract:
The world's population is constantly growing. To satisfy food security, the use of synthetic chemicals is almost universal because they help in soil fertilization, proper development and protection of plants against harmful organisms. However, the abusive use of these products leads to harmful consequences on human and environmental health. The search for alternative solutions then becomes imperative to preserve human health and the environment. One of the promising strategies to combat crop pests is biopesticides. These natural products have many advantages because they are less toxic to humans and animals, biodegradable and therefore less dangerous for the environment. However, biopesticides have limitations because their action is generally slow, less effective, short-lived and are often more expensive than synthetic chemicals. Faced with the impossibility of systematically abandoning chemicals in favor of biopesticides, we are working on techniques that aim to combine these two types of products strategically to effectively combat pests without significantly affecting the quality of agricultural products and the environment.