The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, analysed public approval records for pesticides in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Uruguay up to December 2020. Researchers identified 523 active ingredients approved for the region's ten main crops and found that 256 of these are banned or not authorised in the EU.
Examples of the types of chemicals include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides; specific names cited in the report include acetochlor, bifenthrin and carbendazim. Costa Rica, Mexico and Brazil were among the countries with the highest counts of such approved ingredients.
The authors link rising pesticide use — up about 500 per cent between 1990 and 2019 — to direct risks for rural workers and indirect exposure through residues in food, water, air and soil. They recommend an immediate ban on highly hazardous active ingredients and stronger monitoring, approval protocols and risk-management systems. A recent Mercosur–EU free trade agreement signed in January could help introduce stricter standards.
Difficult words
- pesticide — chemical used to kill pests on cropspesticides
- active ingredient — substance in a pesticide that causes the effectactive ingredients
- residue — small amounts of chemical left on foodresidues
- hazardous — likely to cause harm to people or environment
- monitoring — regular checking of a situation or activity
- approval — official permission to use or sell something
- protocol — formal set of steps for a procedureprotocols
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could stronger monitoring and approval protocols reduce risks from pesticides?
- Do you think a free trade agreement like Mercosur–EU could help introduce stricter pesticide standards? Why or why not?
- What examples can you give of how people might be exposed to pesticide residues?
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