prior informed consent

Informal policy whereby companies who sell pesticides to developing countries agree to suspend exporting the product if there is an objection from the government of the receiving country and to inform the government of the nature of the pesticide. The situation arises frequently because some pesticides banned in the developed world may be bought by agricultural operations or companies in the developing world, perhaps unaware of any health implications. The policy was adopted by the FAO in 1989, and has since been made binding by the EC on its member states.