AMBI02012,41:370-379 377 scope of programme and increase the scale of subsidies revenue or income.This created a major incentive for them where this is the most cost-effective way of mitigating to emphasize the expansion of sales of fertilizers and GHGs and other forms of NPS pollution.Furthermore, pesticides rather than advising farmers on appropriate there needs to be clear labelling requirements for green and application rates.The recent reforms efforts have focused organic foods so that consumers can understand and accept on how to separate these two functions.Furthermore,new the need for price premiums for such products.? extension service models have been examined to find more effective ways of meeting farmers'needs for sound infor- Giving Farmers Access to Better Knowledge mation on the control of NPS pollution.It is important to on the Sound Application of Agro-Chemicals emphasize that no matter which communication model is Through Promotion of Farmers Associations used the guidance they provide must include measures to promote the sound management of agro-chemicals,manure Lack of awareness by farmers and the general public of the and crop residues in ways that are both economically viable negative consequences of overuse of fertilizer and pesti- and environmental sustainable.These measures will cides is a major challenge to appropriate use of these include the promotion and adoption of high-efficiency essential agricultural inputs.This includes the widespread fertilizer technology. lack of knowledge of the correct applications rates.Fur- thermore,the rural household contract responsibility sys- Improving the Implementation of National tem allows farmers to decide which crops they will grow Standards and Legislations on Organic Waste depending on market demand themselves (as opposed to Discharges and Pesticide Use the earlier State system of set crop production targets).This has led to more diversified needs for fertilizer and pesti- Tighter controls should be imposed on the discharge of cides and posed challenges to the extension services.The organic waste from livestock and poultry farms.Legally latter are being reformed to meet these challenges but in enforceable environmental protection regulations for live- addition farmers need to better organized through the for- stock production should be established based on the con- mation of farmer technical associations that promote sideration of the potential to increase waste treatment and information exchange.In recent years,laws and regulations utilization of livestock's excrements,the livestock carrying have been introduced to promote farmers associations and capacity of the land,the waste storage and disposal help farmers to have better access to technical assistance requirements,and the need for ecological buffer zones. and market information. Especially in the provinces and regions that are most at high-risk from NPS.the protected area should be estab- Other Measures to Provide Better Agricultural lished to control random discharges of manure." Extension Services The registration and application of pesticides needs to be managed more rigorously,together with measures to Reforms to the agricultural extension system in the last eliminate highly toxic and stable pesticides,and to develop decade have helped to correct conflict of interest issues in new pesticides which are environmentally safe.The central the roles of some public extension services workers.Earlier strategy for pesticide use should be based on the precau- reforms in 1980s created a situation in which extension tionary principle and on integrated control systems,which workers were not only responsible for teaching farmers requires (a)the establishment of a plant disease and insect how to adopt agricultural new technologies,including pest forecasting system,(b)the adoption of integrated pest appropriate use of agricultural chemicals,but they also had techniques that use biological agents and biological pesti- the tasks of selling these chemicals in order to generate cides together with knowledge of population dynamics, (c)expansion of basic research on pest control and applied 6The Ministry of Agriculture implemented the subsidy programme research on methods of application.Finally,farmers need to enhance soil organic matter in 287 counties of 21 provinces (municipalities)in 2009,covering an area of 1.03 million ha.The state give 300 CNY (Chinese Yuan)ha-(1 USD is equal to about 6.4 CNY)subsidy to the farmers for application of 30 kg ha-rice straw decomposition agent in the South region and for application of 1500 kg ha commercial organic fertilizer in the northern region. 7 In China,there was 23.27 million ha of farmland certified to s Taihu Lake Water Pollution Prevention Regulations of Jiangsu produce innoxious food(green food)with the rational use of synthetic Province was implemented in 2008.The most closely protected areas fertilizers and organic manure in 2006,accounting for 19.1%of the include the body of Taihu Lake;a 5-km wide band of land around the total arable land(121.7 million ha).There was only 3.3 million ha of lake;and I km of land bordering the river for 10 km upstream of the farmland certified to produce organic food without synthetic fertil- lake.In this area,the construction of new centralized livestock and izers and pesticides. poultry farms is prohibited. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2012 www.kva.se/en ②Springerscope of programme and increase the scale of subsidies6 where this is the most cost-effective way of mitigating GHGs and other forms of NPS pollution. Furthermore, there needs to be clear labelling requirements for green and organic foods so that consumers can understand and accept the need for price premiums for such products.7 Giving Farmers Access to Better Knowledge on the Sound Application of Agro-Chemicals Through Promotion of Farmers Associations Lack of awareness by farmers and the general public of the negative consequences of overuse of fertilizer and pesti￾cides is a major challenge to appropriate use of these essential agricultural inputs. This includes the widespread lack of knowledge of the correct applications rates. Fur￾thermore, the rural household contract responsibility sys￾tem allows farmers to decide which crops they will grow depending on market demand themselves (as opposed to the earlier State system of set crop production targets). This has led to more diversified needs for fertilizer and pesti￾cides and posed challenges to the extension services. The latter are being reformed to meet these challenges but in addition farmers need to better organized through the for￾mation of farmer technical associations that promote information exchange. In recent years, laws and regulations have been introduced to promote farmers associations and help farmers to have better access to technical assistance and market information. Other Measures to Provide Better Agricultural Extension Services Reforms to the agricultural extension system in the last decade have helped to correct conflict of interest issues in the roles of some public extension services workers. Earlier reforms in 1980s created a situation in which extension workers were not only responsible for teaching farmers how to adopt agricultural new technologies, including appropriate use of agricultural chemicals, but they also had the tasks of selling these chemicals in order to generate revenue or income. This created a major incentive for them to emphasize the expansion of sales of fertilizers and pesticides rather than advising farmers on appropriate application rates. The recent reforms efforts have focused on how to separate these two functions. Furthermore, new extension service models have been examined to find more effective ways of meeting farmers’ needs for sound infor￾mation on the control of NPS pollution. It is important to emphasize that no matter which communication model is used the guidance they provide must include measures to promote the sound management of agro-chemicals, manure and crop residues in ways that are both economically viable and environmental sustainable. These measures will include the promotion and adoption of high-efficiency fertilizer technology. Improving the Implementation of National Standards and Legislations on Organic Waste Discharges and Pesticide Use Tighter controls should be imposed on the discharge of organic waste from livestock and poultry farms. Legally enforceable environmental protection regulations for live￾stock production should be established based on the con￾sideration of the potential to increase waste treatment and utilization of livestock’s excrements, the livestock carrying capacity of the land, the waste storage and disposal requirements, and the need for ecological buffer zones. Especially in the provinces and regions that are most at high-risk from NPS, the protected area should be estab￾lished to control random discharges of manure.8 The registration and application of pesticides needs to be managed more rigorously, together with measures to eliminate highly toxic and stable pesticides, and to develop new pesticides which are environmentally safe. The central strategy for pesticide use should be based on the precau￾tionary principle and on integrated control systems, which requires (a) the establishment of a plant disease and insect pest forecasting system, (b) the adoption of integrated pest techniques that use biological agents and biological pesti￾cides together with knowledge of population dynamics, (c) expansion of basic research on pest control and applied 6 research on methods of application. Finally, farmers need The Ministry of Agriculture implemented the subsidy programme to enhance soil organic matter in 287 counties of 21 provinces (municipalities) in 2009, covering an area of 1.03 million ha. The state give 300 CNY (Chinese Yuan) ha-1 (1 USD is equal to about 6.4 CNY) subsidy to the farmers for application of 30 kg ha-1 rice straw decomposition agent in the South region and for application of 1500 kg ha-1 commercial organic fertilizer in the northern region. 7 In China, there was 23.27 million ha of farmland certified to produce innoxious food (green food) with the rational use of synthetic fertilizers and organic manure in 2006, accounting for 19.1% of the total arable land (121.7 million ha). There was only 3.3 million ha of farmland certified to produce organic food without synthetic fertil￾izers and pesticides. 8 Taihu Lake Water Pollution Prevention Regulations of Jiangsu Province was implemented in 2008. The most closely protected areas include the body of Taihu Lake; a 5-km wide band of land around the lake; and 1 km of land bordering the river for 10 km upstream of the lake. In this area, the construction of new centralized livestock and poultry farms is prohibited. AMBIO 2012, 41:370–379 377 Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2012 www.kva.se/en 123