Vegetable crops in Brazil cover an area of about 326 thousand hectares. All vegetables require insecticide application, which represents a threat not only to producers due to risks of intoxications, but also to consumers, due to residues in food. This situation has arisen because, in the majority of the instances, there are few alternatives of chemicals for pest control. Biological control is rarely exploited because, in case of short-cycle plants such as most vegetables, there is little time for effective action of predators and parasitoids. Physical measures, on the other hand, are showing a relative arise in importance, with occasional use of light, pheromone, and mostly yellow color traps. However, when outbreaks of exotic or native pests occur, associated with favorable conditions, only chemical control can mitigate the economic losses in the crop. For this reason, and as a result of the increasing public awareness regarding health and the environment, the creation of a green-certificate or quality-certificate, which assures that, if chemicals are used in the development of products, they must be used properly, is a task that must be imposed immediately, with authorities responsible for instructing the process. In the State of São Paulo the Secretary of Agriculture began the implementation of a quality-certificate for strawberries produced in the Atibaia county. Other vegetables are now being considered for inclusion in the a green-certificate scheme.
organic production; contamination; outbreaks
