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PestOn: An Ontology to Make Pesticides Information Easily Accessible and Interoperable

Author

Listed:
  • Marco Medici

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy)

  • Damion Dooley

    (Centre for Infectious Disease Genomics and One Health, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada)

  • Maurizio Canavari

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy)

Abstract

Globally, present regulations treat pesticide use with a light touch, leaving users with scarce reporting requirements in the field. However, numerous initiatives have been undertaken to reduce risks from pesticide product use and provide the public with sufficient information. Nevertheless, food chain actors are not required to disclose much information on hazards, with many undervalued safety aspects. This situation has resulted in information gaps concerning the production, authorization, use, and impact of pesticide products for both consumers and regulatory stakeholders. Often, the public cannot directly access relevant information about pesticides with respect to retail products and their farm origins. National authorities have poor legal tools to efficiently carry out complete investigations and take action to mitigate pesticide externalities. We created the ontology PestOn to bridge these gaps and directly access pesticide product information, making existing data more useful and improving information flow in food value chains. This demonstration project shows how to integrate various existing ontologies to maximize interoperability with related information on the semantic web. As a semantic tool, it can help address food quality, food safety, and information disclosure challenges, opening up several opportunities for food value chain actors and the public. In its first version, the ontology PestOn accounts for more than 16,000 pesticide products that were authorized in Italy during the last 50 years and retrieved from the public pesticide register. The ontology includes information about active ingredients contained in pesticide products, roles, hazards, production companies, authorization status, and regulatory dates. These pieces of information can support agri-food stakeholders in classifying information in the domain of pesticide products and their active ingredients, while reducing unnecessary repetition in research. PestOn can support the addition of food attributes in the domains of human health, resource depletion, and eco-social impact, turning the spotlight on each possible improper use of pesticide products.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Medici & Damion Dooley & Maurizio Canavari, 2022. "PestOn: An Ontology to Make Pesticides Information Easily Accessible and Interoperable," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6673-:d:827578
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Megan Sheahan & Christopher B. Barrett & Casey Goldvale, 2017. "Human health and pesticide use in Sub-Saharan Africa," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 48(S1), pages 27-41, November.
    3. Ming Ye & Jeremy Beach & Jonathan W. Martin & Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan, 2013. "Occupational Pesticide Exposures and Respiratory Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-30, November.
    4. Hartnell, Gaynor, 1996. "The innovation of agrochemicals: regulation and patent protection," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 379-395, May.
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    2. Thomas P. Tomich & Casey Hoy & Michael R. Dimock & Allan D. Hollander & Patrick R. Huber & Ayaz Hyder & Matthew C. Lange & Courtney M. Riggle & Michael T. Roberts & James F. Quinn, 2023. "Why Do We Need Food Systems Informatics? Introduction to This Special Collection on Smart and Connected Regional Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-20, April.

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