Anti-Counterfeiting

Counterfeiting is a dangerous and growing problem for all industries, including the plant science industry. Counterfeiting of plant science products brings to bear a range of negative effects for the industry, farmers and the environment.

These negative impacts of counterfeit pesticides include:

  • economic ruin for the farmer; potential loss of harvest due to use of an ineffective counterfeit
  • discouragement to honest local entrepreneurs from investing in legitimate product development
  • hampering of investment, employment, technology transfer and tax revenues
  • the potential harm to the environment as counterfeits are not tested for safety (whereas legal products are extensively tested before they are authorized and fulfill strict requirements)
  • risk that buyers of export crops will boycott crops treated with counterfeit pesticides thus posing an economic risk to countries relying on export crops

The effect of counterfeiting is that it could eliminate the incentive for plant science companies to continue to invest considerable time and money in the development of new technologies that can help assure global food security and alleviate hunger and poverty. Furthermore, counterfeit pesticides risk the health and safety of workers and farmers.

The plant science industry is committed to innovation and delivery of state-of the-art products to the world’s farmers, and thereby increase food security and encourage social development.   We work with police, customs and regulators for the implementation and enforcement of intellectual property rights to ensure that only authentic crop protection products are traded and used in a safe, responsible manner.

Anti-Counterfeiting: Third Party Publications

Third party publications dedicated to counterfeit and illegal pesticides:

Third party publications on legitimate delivery supply chains avoiding counterfeiters:

Global:  New Digital Technologies to Tackle Trade in Illegal Pesticides

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Trade and Environment Working Papers, No. 2020/02

Global: Know Your Customer

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Business Alliance to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP)

Global:  Adoption of Council Recommendation on Countering the Illegal Trade of Pesticides 

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Network on Illegal Trade of Pesticides (ONIP)

Global: Roles and Responsibilities of Intermediaries, Fighting Counterfeiting and Piracy in the Supply Chain

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), pages 26, 32, 39 -41

Global:  Best Practice Guidance to Identify Illegal Trade of Pesticides

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Network on Illegal Trade of Pesticides (ONIP)

Global: The Roles and Responsibilities of Ocean-going Transportation Intermediaries in the Distribution of Counterfeit Goods

School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University

Global:  Illicit Pesticides, Organized Crime and Supply Chain Integrity

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)

Global: US Government Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement (FY2017 – 2019)

The Office of the IPR Enforcement Coordinator,  Executive Office of the President, pages 38, 111 – 113

Global:  Report of the OECD Seminar on Risk Reduction Through Prevention, Detection and Control of the Illegal International Trade in Agricultural Pesticides

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Global:  Declaration of Intent to prevent the maritime transportation
of counterfeit goods 

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Bascap (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy), brand owners, and maritime transport industry

EU:  Ad-hoc study on the trade of illegal and counterfeit pesticides in the EU (executive summary)

Submitted to the European Commission, DG Health & Food Safety

Ukraine:  Counteraction to Counterfeit and Contraband Pesticides, Methodology

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) within the Environmental and Security Initiative (ENVSEC)

India:   Study on Sub-Standard, Spurious/Counterfeit Pesticides in India

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

EU: The Economic Cost of IPR Infringement in the Pesticides Sector

European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)

Mali: Fraudulent pesticides in West Africa

International Journal of Pest Management

CropLife International is a member of the following anti-counterfeiting organizations:

  • REACT, Anti Counterfeiting Network
  • OECD Task Force on Charting Illicit Trade
  • INTA (International Trademarks Association)
  • Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT), Alliance Partner