The UN Development Programme has reported on a US$18 million project to reduce dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) use by farmers in Shaanxi Province, China.
The four-year project, run from December 2008 to December 2012, was executed by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection, with financing including US$6 million from the Global Environment Facility.
February 2013: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has reported on a US$18 million project to reduce dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) use by farmers in Shaanxi Province, China. The four-year project, run from December 2008 to December 2012, was executed by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, with financing includding US$6 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). According to UNDP, the project established demonstration projects in Luochuan County’s 300 kilometers of apple orchards, as well as regular training to assist farmers in adapting their techniques to come into line with international conventions and trading standards. UNDP reports that Chinese apple farmers reduced reliance on DDT (for a total reduction of 180 metric tonnes of DDT emissions), increased crop yields, and improved the quality of the apples produced, which began earning higher prices.
DDT is classified as a persistent organic pollutant (POP), and its use is restricted under the Stockholm Convention on POPs. [UNDP Press Release] [Stockholm Convention Website] [GEF Project Approval]