Research Reports
Major Problems and Policy Lessons of Agricultural Chemical Labeling in Korea
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AuthorKwon, Ohbok
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Publication Date2009.12.01
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Original
The consumption of agricultural chemicals has been reduced mainly due to consumers' heightened awareness of food safety and environmentally friendly farming. The safe and correct use of agricultural chemicals is an issue of utmost importance since its misuse may cause serious damage to humans and crops. In this regard, the labeling of agricultural chemicals plays an important role in giving necessary information to farmers. Today more than fifty percent of farm population are above sixties, and they have problem with reading the labels of agricultural chemicals. With such a background, this study is carried out to present major problems with agricultural chemical labels and to suggest policy lessons.
In Korea, like in other countries, the registration of agricultural chemical business and labeling and marketing of agricultural chemicals are regulated by law. The Rural Development Administration (RDA) formulates the labeling standards of agricultural chemicals, and special rules are obviously applied to labels concerning chemical's name, registration number, brand name, warning, ingredients, and use directions. However, different colors need to be used for different uses. For example, pesticides can be denoted with green color, and various picture warnings can also be attached for careful use.
According to the survey performed in this study, about eighty percent of respondents check the labels when buying agricultural chemicals. Respondents think that user instructions and use-by dates are most important, followed by names of crops and diseases covered by the agricultural chemicals in hand. About twenty percent of respondents do not confirm the labels since they think they already know the use method. Many respondents replied that they have difficulty in understanding the labels because the characters on the labels are too small. They also point out that the recommended consumer price of agricultural chemicals should be printed on the label so that they can compare it with the prices of agricultural chemicals in other shops.
In sum, four policy lessons are suggested. First, in order to enlarge the characters on the labels, a standard character size needs to be established so that old farmers can easily read them. Second, the government should encourage manufacturers to label their products in easy-to-understand terms. Third, the so-called 'agricultural chemicals call center' needs to be set up and put into operation to supply farmers with necessary information. Fourth, the education of farmers on agricultural chemicals should be reinforced.
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