BASF to Publish All Pesticide Labels in Spanish
BASF has announced its entire greenhouse and nursery product portfolio will now be available in both English and Spanish. While no law requires manufacturers to provide Spanish versions of a pesticide label, BASF has identified this as a critical customer need for safety, stewardship and ease of use. For many in the agricultural industry, Spanish is the first learned language. This fact, combined with the highly technical language and information presented on pesticide labels, presented an opportunity to better serve customers.
“As a grower, I worked alongside many native Spanish speakers,” said Leah Van der Heide, greenhouse and nursery specialist. “I quickly recognized the need for Spanish labeling when I struggled to fully communicate the basics of using pesticides with my team. Overtime, my Spanish greatly improved. However, those very specific details within a label were still extremely difficult to properly translate.”
This initiative was championed by the greenhouse and nursery sales team. In line with BASF’s core values of diversity and inclusion, the team was empowered to swiftly address this need. Within six months, product labels were translated and published online where they are now easily accessible to all users.
“I am glad to hear BASF is working to make it easier for Spanish-speaking growers. Spanish speakers will be more confident to use a chemical, in which those labels are explained in their native language, and will be able to follow the directions fully,” said Javier Lopez of Altman’s Specialty Plants.
For more information on Spanish labels and product resources, visit www.betterplants.basf.us.