Challenges for Pesticide Regulation and Use
Many farmers still apply a wide range of pesticides, but are exposed to some which are highly hazardous to use. Is there sufficient legislation and control of pesticide use to remove these pesticides? Even applying the less hazardous pesticides, farmers need to be better trained to improve their application and minimise exposure to the chemicals. The use of chemical pesticides has increased immensely over the last 80 years, since the development of DDT, with a range of many other insecticides, fungicides and herbicides being marketed. Although legislation to control the use of insecticides had been introduced in the USA back in 1910, it was only after World War II that other countries began to start registration of pesticides and WHO created a Classification based on the toxicity of the chemicals. More recently there has been greater concern about the extent to which certain pesticides, especially those rated as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) have been used. WHO estimates that there are 1.6 million deaths per year from poisoning by chemicals. There are other problems, such as the herbicide glyphosate, use of which has expanded with farmers growing maize, soybean and cotton crops genetically modified to provide tolerance to this weedkiller. The use of this herbicide has resulted in many court cases claiming it use results in ill health.