This Decree-Law establishes the principles and guidelines for the integrated protection and integrated production, as well as the technical standards applicable to integrated protection, integrated production and organic production, and creates a system for recognising technicians in these sectors, within the scope of primary agricultural production. Integrated pest management consists of a considered assessment of all available crop protection methods and the integration of appropriate measures to reduce the development of populations of harmful organisms and maintain the use of plant protection products and other forms of intervention at economically and ecologically justifiable levels, reducing or minimizing the risks to human health and the environment, favouring the development of healthy crops with the least possible disruption to agricultural and agro-forestry ecosystems and encouraging natural mechanisms to combat harmful organisms. against crop enemies. Integrated production is based on the following principles: a) Regulation of the ecosystem, importance of animal welfare and preservation of natural resources; b) Farm as a whole, as the unit of implementation of integrated production; c) Regularly updating farmers' knowledge of integrated production; d) Maintaining the stability of agricultural ecosystems; e) Balancing the nutrient cycle, minimizing losses; f) Preserving and improving the fertility of the soil; g) Fostering biodiversity; h) Understanding the quality of agricultural products as being based on ecological parameters, as well as the usual external and internal quality criteria; i) Plant protection must be based on the objectives and guidelines of integrated protection; j) Minimization of some of the side effects of agricultural activities.
Portugal · 2009-09-24