Brazil Hits Record High in Pesticide Approvals in 2024
04 February 2025, Brazil: Brazil has witnessed a record number of pesticide approvals in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA). A total of 663 pesticide products were approved, marking a 19% rise compared to 2023, which had seen a slowdown in new product registrations. The majority of these approvals—541 in total—are generic versions of existing agrochemicals, while 15 entirely new chemical compounds and 106 biological agents, often referred to as “bio-inputs,” have also been introduced.
Ongoing Trend, Not a Result of New Pesticide Legislation
Alan Tygel, a representative of the Permanent Campaign Against Pesticides and For Life, has stated that the recent spike in approvals is not yet influenced by the pesticide legislation passed in 2023. This law, despite being enacted with modifications by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has yet to be fully regulated. Instead, Tygel attributes the growing number of approvals to the continuation of an agricultural model that prioritizes profits over environmental and public health concerns.
“The pattern of increasing pesticide registrations has been ongoing since 2016, following the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. The latest figures show that this trend has persisted under the Lula administration. The federal government continues to support agribusiness and multinational agrochemical companies. Since the new law is not yet regulated, these approvals reflect longstanding policies that encourage large-scale farming for export, at the cost of food security and local production,” Tygel explained.
Regulatory Changes and Potential Risks
One of the most significant changes brought by the 2023 pesticide law is the acceleration of the product approval process. The legislation also limits the authority of key regulatory bodies—the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama). Under the revised framework, these agencies can now only assess and classify risks rather than veto the approval of hazardous substances.
Experts warn that the continued expansion of chemical-intensive agriculture in Brazil is reducing land available for traditional food crops, exacerbating food insecurity. “The dominance of export-driven agribusiness is leading to higher food prices. Staple food crops are being replaced by cash crops like soy, making essential food items less accessible to the population,” Tygel added.
Pedro Vasconcelos, an advisor at Fian Brasil, an organization advocating for the right to adequate food, also voiced concerns. “Brazilians are consuming increasingly contaminated food. This industrial agricultural model is not only harming public health but is also causing declining productivity. Climate challenges are worsening, and this approach is proving to be unsustainable,” he said.
Highly Toxic Pesticides Among New Approvals
Among the newly sanctioned chemicals, two are categorized as “highly toxic” by Anvisa. Orandis, a fungicide containing Chlorothalonil and Oxathiapiprolim, is intended for small-scale crops, while Miravis, which combines Chlorothalonil and Pidiflumetofem, is approved for large-scale cultivation of soybeans, corn, cotton, and wheat. Both products are manufactured by Syngenta. According to the company’s own safety information, inhaling these chemicals can be fatal, and exposure may cause allergic reactions and severe eye irritation.
Contaminated Food: A Growing Concern
The widespread approval and use of pesticides in Brazilian agriculture have serious implications for food safety and public health. A 2023 study by Anvisa’s Pesticide Residue Analysis Program found that nearly 26% of food samples tested contained pesticide residues. Alarmingly, some of these substances are either banned or restricted in other countries, including Carbendazim, which Brazil itself prohibited in 2022.
Certain food products have shown particularly high levels of pesticide contamination. Tests detected 25 different chemical residues in rice samples, while pineapples contained traces of 31 different pesticides, including glyphosate—a substance banned in multiple European Union nations due to its potential link to cancer. Additionally, guava samples tested positive for chlorpyrifos, a pesticide associated with neurological disorders, developmental issues in fetuses, and increased risks of miscarriage.
As Brazil continues down this path of increased pesticide approvals, concerns over food safety, environmental impact, and long-term sustainability are mounting. The debate over balancing agricultural productivity with public health protections remains a pressing issue in the country.
Also Read: Budget 2025: A Boost for Farmers, but GST on Inputs Needs Revision – Dr. R.G. Agarwal
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