The demands of consumers for high quality and safe food means that there is an ever-increasing need for higher standards in all stages of the food chain. This has led to much stricter quality assurance requirements from buyers, such as supermarkets and food processing companies.

Among these requirements is the need for more effective control of pests, such as rodents, which contaminate and destroy food while still in farm stores.

At the same time, there is a greater recognition of the need to protect and enhance wildlife in rural areas.

The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) aims to protect wildlife while promoting and providing effective rodent control through the responsible use of rodenticides in rural areas.

The move comes as the government appointed Rodenticide Risk Assessment Technical working group (RRAT) warns that irresponsible use of rodenticides can result in animals, including predatory birds and mammals, being exposed to these products.

In a bid to ensure that any negative impact on wildlife caused by poor pest control practice is eliminated, CRRU is actively promoting the responsible use of rodenticides and has launched a code under the banner 'Think Wildlife'. These essential guidelines promote best practice in rodent control.

From advising those using rodenticides to have a planned approach and always using enough baiting points, to warning them never to leave bait around at the end of treatment, the code will help rural users to get the best results from their rodent control programmes, yet reduce the potential harmful effects on wildlife.

Urging everyone to follow the guidelines, CRRU Chairman Dr Alan Buckle says: "Rodenticides are a vital tool to prevent disease, wastage and damage and protect food. Those in the countryside must ensure best practice in pest control procedures if they want to ensure access to rodenticides in the future."

"And this code of essential guidelines is only the start of a much longer campaign. A variety of initiatives will be adopted to ensure responsible rodenticide use is firmly on the agenda."