Combat food insecurity with sustainable grain storage solutions, plus a Q&A with Envu biologist Stefan Endepols, Ph.D.

World Food Day is the collective celebration from over 150 countries in the United Nations on October 16 to commemorate the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. In its honor, we are amplifying the global work Envu does on a daily basis to ensure food security for our growing population. These efforts are outlined in our inaugural sustainability reports with sustainable development goals established by the United Nations. One of our priorities is directly related to goal 12: “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.”

A report published by the World Health Organization estimates that there was nearly a 25% increase in those who faced hunger worldwide between 2019 and 2020. One of the contributing factors to food insecurity and food loss is pest damage. Insects can threaten food security worldwide and damage other products, including fiber, leather and wood. However, effective pest management in grain stores can help minimize post-harvest losses. According to a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2018, “Post-harvest losses in cereals can be significant, often reaching 20%-50% due to pests and other factors.”

To combat these challenges, Stefan Endepols, Ph.D., Envu biologist, explains the importance of maintaining clean and well-repaired grain storage facilities. Endepols, whose research centers on developing solutions to control stored grain pests, states that the battle against these pests begins with preparing the grain stores. Implementing rigorous pest pressure monitoring also helps in early detection and timely intervention. Additionally, continuous adaptation strategies based on the latest research and product improvements are crucial for ongoing success in protecting stored grains.

Endepols shared his insights regarding the most effective solutions to control stored grain pests and what we might see in the future.

1. Describe the significance of post-harvest grain loss and its relationship to global food insecurity.
a. Post-harvest losses of grains are a significant threat globally. Such losses are caused mainly by insects, mites, and fungi, as well as rodents and birds. Most losses can be prevented by storing high-quality grain under optimum conditions, like at a low temperature, at low grain moisture and in safe silos. However, infestations with insect pests cannot be completely prevented, and often storage environments provide good conditions for pests to develop. Assessments of post-harvest food losses therefore range up to 30%, especially in tropical areas. However, even in developed countries with moderate climate, insects cause significant losses and enable further damage to grains, such as fungi growing, and producing mycotoxins.

2. What positive changes in pest management have you seen in your career?
a. Developing new solutions to protect grain has become an integrated task. Many research and development activities have been dedicated to storage conditions, such as sealing silos and establishing a controlled atmosphere inside. The development of new chemical solutions has become a challenge because efficient compounds and products have been banned, and no new chemical compounds could be developed.

3. How can companies, like Envu, help reduce food loss and food insecurity globally?
a. Envu defends the active compound deltamethrin, one of the most effective pyrethroids. While this compound has been proven effective and safe, new products need to be developed to keep the compound available for the grain industry. A challenge here [in Brazil] is the fact that maximum residue levels allowed on grain have been lowered and are expected to be reduced further. We also investigate new ideas, which may become products in the near or long-term future.

4. What is the one thing you want people to know about your work and why?
a. I don’t think there is much public interest in my daily work. It is only part of common efforts within our network of highly engaged colleagues developing new recipes and producing data for them to become authorized products. What counts is the result of our work: new products, which are effective and comply with future restrictions and conditions.

5. How do you see pest management practices evolving over the next decade?
a. As products become less available in the future and application rates of the effective active compounds will be reduced further, the best and most effective techniques and practices are required to protect stored grains and goods.
b. I cannot overemphasize the importance of keeping grain stores clean and in good repair. Proper monitoring of pest pressures and implementing effective stewardship practices further enhance the success of pest management efforts.

One of the many ways we live out our sustainability commitment — “healthier spaces and people” — is by ensuring food security for our increasing population. By reducing food loss due to pest infestations in grain stores, we can continue advancing healthier communities across the globe. Examples include innovative solutions such as K-Obiol® insecticide, which is a product of choice for stored grain protection and its partnership with customers through initiatives and resources like our Grain Protectant Guidebook. This resource gives farmers and pest control operatives in the United Kingdom detailed recommendations to protect stored harvests through integrated pest management (IPM.) IPM is a program of prevention, monitoring and control strategies to limit the pest damage by the most economical means possible and with the least environmental impact. We know that collective action is necessary to ensure our food supply can adapt and feed the growing global population. So, we must be a force with nature. Envu is proud to partner with pest management professionals and contribute to the work being done to protect the communities so many call home