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Presentation to the Global Minor Use Summit IV

Marcos Alvarez

Executive Director

Pest Management Centre

Agriculture and Agrifood Canada

Madrid, February 2024

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Presentation Outline

Overview of the Pest Management Centre (PMC)
Collaborators and stakeholders
PMC Accomplishments (highlights)
Innovation, regulatory support, and R&D

Research in support of regulatory decision for pesticide applications with drones
Developmental research to deploy alternative pest management solutions
Emerging technology - RNAi

The future
Joint Achievements under PMC / IR-4 Project Harmonization
Benefits PMC / IR-4 Project Harmonization
Regulatory requirement challenges

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Overview of the Pest Management Centre

Established in 2003
Two programs – Minor Use Pesticide and Pesticide Risk Reduction
HQ in Ottawa
Research performed at ten AAFC Research Centres and private contractors and Universities
One Analytical Chemistry Laboratory
PRR performs wide range of R&D activities
GLP accredited
60 employees

Collaborative program with Heath Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency

Program funding provides dedicated resources for minor use
Application fees waived for AAFC and provincial minor use submissions

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PMC Minor Use Team Funding�

Funding for the Minor Use Program is in 5 year cycles under a Federal Provincial Territorial Framework.

The current framework is called the “Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership”.

The program will receive $81M in total funding from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

$21M ($4.2M per year) is transferred to the Regulator – Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency

$43M ($8,5M per year) pays for AAFC Staff and materials, as well as external contractors for field and lab studies.

Balance is administrative overhead

PMC Pesticide Risk Reduction Team Funding

Funding from reference levels
Research funding through competitive process

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Collaborators and Stakeholders

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency
All 10 Provinces through their Provincial Minor Use Coordinators and Crop Specialists
Pest Control Product Manufacturers and Registrants
Grower Organizations including the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
International Partners: USDA IR-4, Brazil, Australia, Minor Use Foundation

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PMC Accomplishments (highlights)

SUBMISSIONS AND USES

1041 submissions submitted since 2003 resulting in over 3000 new uses

CROP PROFILES

featuring current key pest issues, pest management needs and control practices, including Integrated Pest Management approaches�

CROP PROTECTION PRODUCTS

supporting research for label expansion registrations addressing grower-selected pest priorities for specialty crops

BIOPESTICIDE SOLUTIONS �facilitating new product registrations and supporting research for biopesticide label expansions

ORGANIC SOLUTIONS

supporting research for label expansions targeting the organic sector

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

developing new pest control practices which reduce the use of pesticides (e.g., diagnostic and decision-making tools, biocontrol and cultural methods, bee and drone enabled applications)

TECHONOLOGY and KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

supporting knowledge transfer of developed technologies through demonstration of Integrated Pest Management approaches, webinars, field days, on farm research

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

collaborating with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, other federal departments, provincial ministries, growers, academia, and pesticide companies.
collaborating with the U.S. IR-4 Project to obtain equal access to pest control products and to prevent trade barriers through harmonized Maximum Residue Limits

GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE (GLP)

maintaining a Standards Council of Canada recognized Organization of Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) GLP multi-site organization

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

collaborating with other countries and international organizations to share expertise and experiences to support pest management initiatives

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Here are some of the accomplishments of the PMC over the course of the last 20 years:

SUBMISSIONS AND USES

1041 submissions submitted since 2003 resulting in over 3000 new uses

CROP PROFILES

These are publications that the Pesticide Risk Reduction Team produces and updates regularly. They feature current key pest issues, pest management needs and control practices, including Integrated Pest Management approaches. We currently have 34 crop profiles and these are available on our website.�

CROP PROTECTION PRODUCTS

Within our MU program, we support research for pesticide label expansions, addressing grower-selected pest priorities for minor and specialty crops

BIOPESTICIDE SOLUTIONS �Thru our Risk Reduction program, we have done a lot of work supporting registrants, particularly smaller biopesticide companies, in facilitating new product registrations, helping them navigate the regulatory landscape in Canada. We also support biopesticide label expansions thru our Minor Use program.

ORGANIC SOLUTIONS

We support research for label expansions targeting the organic sector. In fact, we dedicate 2 priorities for organic production every year at our Priority Setting Workshop.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

We develop new pest control practices which reduce the use of pesticides (e.g., diagnostic and decision making tools, biocontrol and cultural methods, using bees as vector to distribute biopesticides, and we have been involved in projects using drones for product applications since 2019).

TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

We conduct knowledge transfer of developed technologies through demonstration of Integrated Pest Management approaches. We hold webinars, field days, and on-farm research activities.

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

We have a strong collaboration with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, other federal departments, provincial ministries, growers, academia, and crop protection companies.

We are an enduring collaboration with the IR-4 Project, to obtain equal access to pest control products and to prevent trade barriers through harmonized Maximum Residue Limits

GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICES (GLP)

As mentioned before, we have maintained our GLP multi-site recognition since the beginning of our program. In Canada, the Standards Council of Canada administers and is the monitoring authority that grants the OECD GLP recognition. We get audited every 2 years. Our last inspection was in February and we passed with flying colours.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

Finally, in the area of Global Leadership, we collaborate with other countries and international organizations to share expertise and experiences, to support pest management initiatives. MOUs, JMPR and CCPR, GMUS

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Innovation, regulatory support, and R&D

AAFC is leading a multidisciplinary working group to generate data in support of regulatory decision by the PMRA for pesticide applications.

Research in support of regulatory decision for pesticide applications with drones

Innovation, regulatory support, and R&D

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PMC / IR-4 Project Harmonization

About 25% of PMC projects are in partnership with US IR-4
Cooperation through joint projects leads to significant resource savings:

Reduction in the number of field trials conducted & lab analysis trials (refer to guideline in NAFTA Crop Field trials), shorter timeframes for submission, and Joint EPA / PMRA Regulatory Review stream.
Regulatory decisions at approximately the same time – benefiting growers on both sides of the border
Harmonized tolerances / Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) to help remove trade barriers.

Use of crop groupings which allow registration on more crops within a group.

Since 2003: 173 joint submissions and 155 regulatory decisions

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Regulatory Challenges

Major new use – Public consultations

Mandatory posting times and response to comments can add over a year to reviews

Post-market reviews

Proposed re-evaluation decisions
Special Reviews – Can happen anytime

Trial distinction requirements

Duplicate trials by the same PI must be either 30 days apart or 32 km apart

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Thank You

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