What are EIQs?

Everything we rely on comes from the Earth. The protection and restoration of the ecosystems on which our company depends is fundamental to our long-term prosperity.

The Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ), created by Cornell University, provides growers with data regarding the environmental and health impacts of their chemical options so they can make better-informed decisions regarding their pesticide selection[1]. The EIQ is the result of a complete analysis of ALL papers on most chemicals used in agriculture. The aim is to help farmers identify and utilise chemicals in a manner that reduces our impact on the ecosystems we depend on. EIQ is a dimensionless number that is calculated by dividing the environmental impact of a particular pest management practice by the environmental impact of a conventional pest management practice. A lower EIQ score indicates a lower environmental impact.  

The EIQ is comprehensive and considers a wide range of environmental impacts, including toxicity to both humans and a myriad of wildlife groups in the long term, as well as in the short term, persistence in the environment, and other effects on soil. It can be used to compare different pesticides and farming practices, and to choose the most environmentally friendly options. The EIQ can be used as a solid indicator of the damage being done by agrochemicals to ecosystem health in an agricultural system for the following reasons:

• The EIQ considers a wide range of environmental impacts. This makes it a more comprehensive measure of environmental damage than other indicators, such as pesticide toxicity or persistence alone.

• The EIQ is based on scientific data. The EIQ values for different pesticides are calculated using data from a variety of sources, including peer-reviewed scientific journals and government databases. This makes the EIQ a reliable and objective measure of environmental impact.

• The EIQ is easy to use and understand. The EIQ values for different pesticides are expressed on a simple scale, from 1 to 100. Higher EIQ values indicate pesticides that have a greater potential to harm the environment. This makes the EIQ a useful tool for farmers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to assess the environmental impact of different pesticides.

Here are some specific examples of how the EIQ can be used to assess the damage being done by agrochemicals to ecosystem health in an agricultural system:

• A farmer can use the EIQ to choose pesticides that have a lower impact on the environment. By choosing pesticides with lower EIQ values, farmers can reduce the risk of harming non-target organisms and damaging the overall health of the ecosystem.

• A policymaker can use the EIQ to develop regulations that reduce the environmental impact of pesticide use. For example, policymakers could implement a ban on pesticides with high EIQ values or require farmers to use integrated pest management (IPM) practices, which reduce the need for pesticides.

• A scientist can use the EIQ to study the relationship between pesticide use and ecosystem health. For example, a scientist could compare the EIQ values of pesticides used in different agricultural regions to see if there is a correlation between pesticide use and ecosystem health indicators such as biodiversity.

At Cicada, we have made a concerted effort to measure our EIQs in a bid to reduce the use of agrochemicals, particularly those with a high impact, to further reduce any negative impacts that we may have on the environment, as well as our staff handling and applying agrochemicals.

In order to achieve this, Cicada Agriculture has implemented a Chemical Usage and Management Policy that guides estates on issues such as chemical budgeting, off-budget chemical use, safe management, use and disposal of chemicals and chemical containers, as well as IPM. Additionally, the Policy includes a list of chemicals banned from use on our estates. In support of the Policy, chemical budgeting and usage is captured through SAP[2] so that chemical usage against budget can be closely tracked and EIQ performance can also be measured and monitored on a regular basis.

Like with the implementation of many new systems, we have encountered some teething problems with regards to the use of SAP to track chemical usage and EIQ calculations, but nothing that can stop us from achieving our goals which includes a 25% reduction in EIQ by 2030 and minimal usage of agrochemicals by 2050. The target is aligned with and takes directive from the Cornell University IPM goals (Cornell Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program) which recommends a 5% annual reduction in agrochemical usage per year. They have a comprehensive guide on their website that outlines best practices to achieve this goal, including using least-toxic pesticides, implementing non-chemical pest control measures, and employing target treatments. Their goal aligns with the target set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which aims for a 25% reduction in synthetic pesticide use by 2025. This goal is also in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), which has called for a 50% reduction in hazardous pesticide use by 2030.

[1] Kovach, J., Petzoldt, C., Degni, J., and Tette, J. 1992. A method to measure the environmental impact of pesticides. New York’s Food and Life Sciences Bulletin 139:1–8.

[2] SAP is an ERP software.