Clean Field Day

In Brazil, every August 18th is "Clean Field National Day", a date that aims to raise awareness and promote the proper return of empty agrochemical packaging. This day has been part of the national calendar since 2008. It is a day of utmost importance because it aims to raise awareness among people working in agriculture on the proper use and disposal of empty agrochemical packaging.

The incorrect disposal of these packages can lead to serious direct or indirect environmental damage. If they are not properly washed after use, chemical residues will still be present in the containers, and may reach springs, sources and groundwater, in some cases causing irreversible damage to nature. According to the current regulation on the subject, the correct disposal must be done within 1 (one) year after the date of purchase of the agrochemical.

Bearing in mind the need to raise awareness and the difficulty that farmers have in reaching collection points to return these containers, Comexim has implemented, in partnership with InpEV and local businesses, the "Itinerant Collection Program" to collect empty pesticide containers. This program is part of the "Responsible Use of Agrochemicals" initiative implemented by members of the Global Coffee Platform, whose objective is to improve sustainability indicators related to the use of agrochemicals in the field. Vários municípios já aderiram e criaram suas leis para que esse evento ocorra anualmente, incluindo palestras de conscientização em escolas das zonas urbana e rural.

In this second year of activities in the many municipalities where we act, we have recorded the correct disposal of more than 30,000 empty pesticide containers and the participation of more than 250 producers. Given the success of the event in the region, Comexim and the partners involved have encouraged municipalities to create municipal laws incorporating the "Clean Field Week" in the official events calendar.

Several municipalities have already joined and implemented laws for this event to take place annually, and to include awareness-raising lectures in schools in both urban and rural areas. In 2022, the program for the "Clean Field Week" in the municipality of Ouro Fino/MG included lectures on topics such as the environment, sustainability, conservation of water resources, and the conservation of fauna and flora, for more than 1,500 children aged 8-14. The lectures were given by professors from the Federal Institute of the South of Minas – Inconfidentes Campus; Beto Albuquerque, from the Andarilhos – Cobras do Bem Project and Eduardo Mataveli from the Global Coffee Platform.