Toxicology and Societies: Jason Sandahl
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Event Description
Title: Pesticide MRLs are Meant for Farmers but Really Complicate Trade.
U.S. farmers face trade challenges due to varying pesticide regulations across countries. Different maximum residue limits (MRLs) for crops can lead to trade violations, even when farmers follow domestic laws.
MRLs, set based on expected residue from proper pesticide use, are not safety limits but trade standards. Their inconsistency across nations creates a complex trade environment for farmers.
This talk will cover MRL establishment, international differences, and their impact on crop protection decisions.
About the Speaker: Jason Sandahl, Minor Use Foundation
Jason is a co-founder of the Minor Use Foundation, which fosters global partnerships to generate residue data to establish maximum residue limits for minor use crops. In 2021, Jason departed the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service after leading the agency’s international capacity building programs on pesticides for 16 years, focusing on pesticide regulations, residue standards, and cooperative residue research. Jason still continues this work through his consulting group, Ag Aligned Global, that supports U.S. agricultural interests abroad related to pesticide use. In addition to his technical regulatory expertise in pesticides, Jason is a farmer in Oregon, growing cherries, pears and apples, where he needs to make real-life pesticide application decisions throughout the season. These decisions need to weigh protecting his crops against damaging pests vs. complying with foreign maximum residue limit (MRL) standards for trade.
A recording of this presentation is available through The Foundation for WWU and Alumni.