Without improvements FAO/WHO monitoring procedure on its way to becoming meaningless: Experts fail to deliver assessment of Bayer CropScience and Syngenta compliance with the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management...

The International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management (“the Code”) is the only global instrument for the management of pesticides... The JMPM, however, failed to assess the companies compliance with the Code. Specific recommendations for business behavior are entirely missing... Without improvements, the FAO/WHO monitoring procedure is on its way to becoming meaningless... This report [...] could have served as a benchmark for future scrutiny of business practices... The JMPM rightly recommends an evaluation of the ad-hoc monitoring procedure. To be effective, the procedure should: [...]

Provide an official assessment of state and business compliance with the Code...

Identify the responsibility of home states of pesticides companies in fulfillment of their extraterritorial human rights obligations to monitor conduct of business actors abroad...

The signatories call on the JMPM to publicly respond to this open letter clarify what its powers and capabilities are and how it plans to implement the necessary changes to effectively address the widespread mismanagement of pesticides.