[en] The Food and Environmental Protection Section of the Joint Division and the Agrochemicals Unit of the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory in Seibersdorf comprise a subprogramme that provides assistance related to strengthening compliance with food and environmental safety standards through good agricultural and laboratory practices. These activities include cooperation and assistance in the elaboration and application of international standards related to processes, such as the use of irradiation as a sanitary and phytosanitary treatment for food and agricultural commodities, and on guidelines related to contamination, such as guideline levels for radionuclides in foods. Technologies and capacity building in the application of good practices for the management of food and environmental hazards is also an important aspect of our work. Assistance is provided through program activities related to coordination and support in research, providing technical and advisory services, providing laboratory support and training, and collecting, analyzing and disseminating information. The success of these activities is reflected in part by our recently finalized report on the delivery of outputs and outcomes for 2004-2005. The recent updating of our database on approvals of irradiated foods clearly demonstrated that food irradiation is currently used by almost 60 countries worldwide, which reflects a 15% increase over the previous biennium. Recent data also indicates that there has been a considerable rise in the use of irradiation for phytosanitary purposes and over twenty countries have approved the use of this process for pest control and quarantine purposes. The Food and Environmental Protection subprogramme has also initiated a coordinated research project (CRP) on Integrated Analytical Approaches to Assess Indicators of the Effectiveness of Pesticide Management Practices at a Catchment Scale. This CRP integrates risk assessment tools and targeted analytical monitoring as a cost-effective option for developing countries to identify specific water pollutants, their sources and occurrences. Nuclear and related techniques will assist in generating CRP outputs such as harmonized protocols for sampling and analysis of surface water. In addition, the FAO/IAEA Training and Reference Centre for Food and Pesticide Control of our Seibersdorf Laboratories is organizing a training workshop on Introduction to Quality Assurance/Quality Control Measures in Pesticide Residue Analytical Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, from 11 September to 6 October 2006. The workshop is aimed at qualified analysts who are working in laboratories performing official control on behalf of their Governments. The objective is to introduce and discuss in detail the QA/QC principles relevant to pesticide residue analysis. Practical examples and hands-on training will be used to demonstrate the general requirements outlined in ISO/IEC Standard 17025 and the OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)