2014 TPSA Conference Focused on the Value of Pesticides in Sustaining Global Food Supplies

2014 TPSA Conference Focused on the Value of Pesticides in Sustaining Global Food Supplies
Dr. Charles Pearson, Syngenta Delivered Keynote Address Presentations Available for Download
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

(March 14, 2014)   Crop protection public-private collaborative, The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance (TPSA), held its fourteenth annual conference Feb. 4-6, 2014 in San Diego, CA.  Dr. Charles Pearson, Head of Product Safety for Syngenta Crop Protection delivered the keynote address, Feeding 9 Billion People:  Why Stewardship Matters.

This year’s 162 participants came from 37 states plus Canada, New Zealand and Lithuania, representing all crop protection disciplines, including manufacturing, research, safety, application, education, regulation, compliance and ag media.  During 30 individual sessions, nearly 70 experts shared experiences covering the sustainability practices and pesticide stewardship efforts of their organizations.

The 2014 Conference covered the most diverse range of topics in TPSA’s history and included:  Bee Health and Pollination, Anti-Terrorism Standards, Occupational Exposure, Personal Protective Equipment, Pesticide Container Management, End Markets for Recycled Ag Plastics, Cleaning Spray Equipment, Pesticide Disposal, and Clean Sweep Program Reports.  The individual presentations can be downloaded from the TPSA web site: 2014 Annual Conference – Presentation Download.

This year’s Conference was led by Nancy Fitz, US EPA; outgoing TPSA President Ples Spradley, Univ. of Arkansas; and Chairman Bryan Gran, FarmChem.

Each year TPSA honors members championing TPSA causes, this year’s honorees included:  Program Innovation – Albert Lea, Bridon Cordage LLC; Outstanding Member Contribution – Maria Mirsky, Mirsky Associates, Inc.; Program Excellence – Nancy Fitz, US EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs; and the President’s Award – Bryan Gran, FarmChem.

The 2015 TPSA Conference will be held Feb. 10-12 in Savannah, GA at the Hilton Savannah Desoto Hotel.