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The global community faces a critical juncture in addressing the pervasive impact of agrochemicals on human health, biodiversity, and the climate. With a landmark commitment to halve the world’s pesticide risk by 2030, encapsulated within the 2022 U.N. Global Biodiversity Framework, the urgency for aligned, bold action—globally—has never been more pronounced. For advocates within the U.S. food system, this international momentum offers invaluable lessons and models to draw upon, despite the United States not being a party to the overarching framework. The journey towards this ambitious goal is complex, marked by varying rates of progress, powerful industry influence, and a growing body of evidence highlighting the severe consequences of inaction.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: A Landmark Commitment
Adopted in December 2022 at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) represents a monumental agreement aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss. Among its 23 targets, Target 7 specifically addresses the challenge of agrochemicals, committing signatory nations to "reduce the overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by at least half by 2030." This target reflects a growing international consensus that current levels of pesticide use are unsustainable and pose an unacceptable threat to ecological integrity and human well-being.
The GBF is a successor to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, which largely failed to meet their objectives by 2020. Learning from past shortcomings, the new framework emphasizes concrete, measurable targets and robust implementation mechanisms. The inclusion of a specific, quantitative target for pesticide risk reduction underscores the direct link between chemical inputs in agriculture and biodiversity decline, from insect populations crucial for pollination to aquatic ecosystems sensitive to chemical runoff.
While the United States played an active role in the negotiations leading to the GBF’s adoption, it has not ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity itself, a situation that dates back to 1993. Consequently, the U.S. is not a formal "Party" to the GBF. This status means the U.S. is not legally bound by the framework’s targets, including Target 7. However, the U.S. often participates as an observer and can still align its domestic policies with global goals on a voluntary basis. Environmental and public health advocacy groups within the U.S. consistently leverage these international commitments to press for stronger domestic regulations and policies, viewing them as benchmarks for national progress.
A Troubling Trajectory: Global Pesticide Use and Toxicity
Despite the growing global awareness and the ambitious 2030 target, a comprehensive 2026 study analyzing progress towards reducing total pesticide toxicity between 2013 and 2019 revealed a concerning trend. The study found that while some regions demonstrated promising decreases in pesticide toxicity, overall global toxicity actually increased considerably during that period. This surge was particularly pronounced across Africa, India, the U.S., Brazil, and Russia—regions characterized by intensive agricultural practices, expanding markets for agrochemicals, and often less stringent regulatory oversight compared to parts of Europe.
Conversely, Europe, driven by its precautionary principle and stricter regulations, and China, which introduced a zero-growth-pesticide policy in 2015, were among the few regions that saw decreases. China’s policy, a direct response to concerns about environmental pollution and food safety, aimed to cap the total amount of pesticides used and promote more efficient application methods and alternative pest management strategies. The European Union, with its Farm to Fork Strategy and ambitious biodiversity targets, has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce pesticide reliance, including widespread bans on specific active ingredients.
Remarkably, Chile emerged as the sole country on track by 2019 to meet the U.N. target of halving pesticide risk. This achievement can be attributed to a combination of factors, including specific national policies promoting integrated pest management (IPM) and supporting transitions to more sustainable farming practices, as well as a robust regulatory framework for pesticide registration and use. Chile’s experience provides a tangible example that the global target, though challenging, is indeed achievable with concerted national effort.
It is crucial to note that this study assessed trends before the 2022 commitment of the GBF. The authors of the study, recognizing the alarming pre-2022 trends, stressed that the global target remains achievable. Their analysis pointed towards expanded bans, stricter regulations, and robust support for agricultural practices that entirely eliminate or greatly reduce pesticide use, such as organic and agroecological approaches, as essential pathways to reversing the trajectory of increasing toxicity.
The Unseen Costs: Health, Environment, and Human Rights Impacts
The wide-ranging impacts of agrochemicals—encompassing both synthetic pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers—extend far beyond the immediate target pests or crop yields. These chemicals have profound and often irreversible consequences on health, biodiversity, climate, and even human rights, demanding a holistic understanding of their true cost.
Health Impacts: Exposure to pesticides has been linked to a multitude of adverse health effects in humans. Agricultural workers, who are on the front lines of exposure, face elevated risks of acute poisoning, neurological disorders, respiratory illnesses, and various cancers. Communities living near agricultural areas are also at risk through drift and contaminated water sources. Specific pesticides, like paraquat, have been strongly associated with debilitating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. Studies increasingly demonstrate the links between prenatal and childhood exposure to certain pesticides and developmental delays, behavioral issues, and increased risks of childhood cancers. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, while not directly toxic in the same way as pesticides, contribute to nitrate pollution in drinking water, which can lead to "blue baby syndrome" (methemoglobinemia) in infants and is a suspected carcinogen.
Biodiversity Loss: Pesticides are inherently designed to kill, and their effects are rarely confined to the target species. Insecticides decimate pollinator populations, including bees and butterflies, which are vital for the reproduction of over 75% of the world’s food crops. Herbicides reduce plant diversity, eliminating food sources and habitats for numerous species. Fungicides can harm beneficial soil microorganisms essential for nutrient cycling and soil health. Runoff from agricultural fields contaminates aquatic ecosystems, leading to fish kills, amphibian deformities, and broader disruptions to delicate food webs. Bird populations suffer from both direct poisoning and the loss of their insect prey and plant seeds. The collapse of biodiversity driven by agrochemical use severely compromises ecosystem services that underpin human life, from clean water to fertile soil.
Climate Change Contribution: The production and use of agrochemicals are significant contributors to climate change. The synthesis of nitrogen fertilizers is an energy-intensive process, relying heavily on fossil fuels, and accounts for a substantial portion of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. Once applied to fields, nitrogen fertilizers can lead to the release of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential nearly 300 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Pesticide manufacturing also involves energy-intensive chemical processes. Furthermore, agrochemical-dependent monoculture farming practices often deplete soil organic carbon, reducing the soil’s capacity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
Human Rights Implications: The heavy reliance on agrochemicals disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations. Agricultural workers, often migrants or from marginalized communities, frequently lack adequate protection, training, and access to healthcare, making them highly susceptible to pesticide poisoning. Indigenous communities, whose livelihoods and cultural practices are intrinsically linked to healthy ecosystems, face threats to their traditional food sources and environments. The right to health, the right to a healthy environment, and the right to adequate food are all undermined by the pervasive use of hazardous agrochemicals.
Paraquat: A Case Study in Persistent Hazard
The herbicide paraquat stands as a stark illustration of the dangers posed by highly hazardous pesticides and the challenges in achieving global regulatory alignment. Paraquat is an exceptionally potent, fast-acting, and non-selective herbicide. It is so toxic that a single sip can be fatal, and there is no known antidote. Its use has been banned in over 50 countries, including all member states of the European Union since 2007, the United Kingdom, and China (for most uses).
Despite its known acute toxicity and a growing body of evidence linking chronic exposure to Parkinson’s disease, paraquat remains legal for restricted use in the United States. This continued authorization is a point of significant contention, with farming communities, health advocates, and scientific researchers vociferously speaking out against its harms. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers, alleging that companies failed to adequately warn users about the risks of Parkinson’s disease. New scientific evidence emerges every year, strengthening the link between paraquat exposure and the degenerative neurological condition, further fueling calls for a complete ban in the U.S. The persistence of paraquat on the market exemplifies the formidable power of the agrochemical industry in shaping policy and influencing regulatory decisions, often prioritizing commercial interests over public health and environmental safety.
Policy Gaps and International Instruments
Addressing the global challenge of agrochemicals requires robust policy frameworks at national and international levels. While the GBF sets an ambitious target, other international instruments play a crucial role, though often facing significant limitations.
The Rotterdam Convention’s Limitations
The Rotterdam Convention, officially known as the Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, is another important multilateral agreement designed to protect human health and the environment. Adopted in 1998, its core objective is to ensure that countries can make informed decisions based on the principles of Prior Informed Consent (PIC) when trading banned or severely restricted chemicals. This means that exporting countries must obtain the explicit consent of importing countries before shipping certain hazardous substances.
However, the Convention’s effectiveness has been hampered by its consensus-based listing process. For a chemical to be added to Annex III (the list of chemicals subject to the PIC procedure), all Parties present and voting at a Conference of the Parties (COP) must agree. This requirement has frequently led to stalemates, with a few dissenting countries, often influenced by industry interests, blocking the inclusion of highly hazardous pesticides. To date, the Convention has failed to add several severely hazardous pesticides, including paraquat, to its list. This institutional weakness undermines the Convention’s protective intent, allowing hazardous chemicals to continue circulating in international trade without the full benefit of the PIC procedure.
Continued advocacy is critical to push for reforms or to ensure that governments, when they next meet to negotiate in 2027, overcome these impasses. Stronger political will and a willingness to prioritize environmental and health protection over commercial considerations are essential for the Rotterdam Convention to fulfill its mandate effectively.
The U.S. Context: A Call for Domestic Action
In the U.S., the persistence of hazardous pesticides like paraquat, despite widespread bans in other developed nations, highlights a significant disconnect between scientific evidence, public concern, and regulatory action. The slow pace of action within the U.S. reflects the substantial influence of a consolidated agrochemical industry, which wields considerable power to shape policy through lobbying, campaign contributions, and sophisticated public relations campaigns designed to influence narratives around agricultural necessity and food security.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), responsible for regulating pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), often faces immense pressure from industry. This can lead to lengthy review processes, approvals of questionable chemicals, and delays in banning substances even when clear evidence of harm emerges. Advocates in the U.S. must continue their push for stronger regulations, including outright bans on highly hazardous pesticides, more rigorous scientific assessments, and policies that incentivize sustainable alternatives. This domestic push is crucial not only for protecting U.S. citizens and ecosystems but also for demonstrating global leadership that aligns with the spirit, if not the letter, of international commitments like the GBF.
Pathways to a Pesticide-Free Future: Agroecology and Sustainable Alternatives
The goal of significantly reducing pesticide risk is not merely about banning harmful chemicals; it is fundamentally about transforming food systems towards more sustainable and resilient models. Agroecological approaches and organic farming practices offer proven pathways to de-link food production from toxic chemicals.
Agroecology is a holistic approach that applies ecological principles to agricultural systems. It emphasizes biodiversity, soil health, nutrient cycling, and local food systems. Rather than relying on external chemical inputs, agroecology leverages natural processes and traditional ecological knowledge. This includes practices like crop rotation, cover cropping, intercropping, biological pest control, and diversified farming systems that build resilience and reduce the need for synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Agroecological systems enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, build soil carbon, and empower farmers by fostering self-reliance and reducing input costs.
Organic farming is a certified system of agriculture that prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and antibiotics. While organic standards vary, the core principle is to work with nature to build healthy soils and ecosystems. The global market for organic products has seen consistent growth, indicating strong consumer demand for food produced without synthetic chemicals.
To support action toward the global commitment of pesticide reduction, the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, an organization dedicated to fostering sustainable, equitable, and secure food systems, will soon launch a comprehensive compendium on agrochemicals. This invaluable resource will feature contributions from several dozen experts around the world, synthesizing the latest research and insights. The compendium is designed to highlight the wide-ranging impacts of agrochemicals—from health to biodiversity to climate and human rights—and critically, to showcase effective strategies and practices that de-link food production from toxic chemicals.
Furthermore, the compendium will delineate how various stakeholders—the public sector, philanthropy, and investors—can strategically incentivize transitions away from agrochemicals. This includes redirecting agricultural subsidies from chemical-intensive practices towards agroecological and organic farming, investing in research and development of non-chemical pest management solutions, providing technical assistance and training for farmers transitioning to sustainable methods, and creating market access for agroecologically produced goods.
Overcoming Industry Influence: The Battle for Policy Change
The staggering toll of agrochemical use on human and planetary health, contrasted with the slow pace of regulatory action, underscores the immense power of a consolidated agrochemical industry. A handful of multinational corporations dominate the global market for seeds and pesticides, giving them significant economic and political leverage. These companies invest heavily in lobbying efforts, fund research that supports their products, and employ sophisticated communication strategies to shape public perception and influence policy debates. They often frame discussions around food security in terms of "feeding the world" through high-input industrial agriculture, downplaying or dismissing the environmental and health costs.
However, a counter-narrative and a powerful movement for change are gaining momentum. Thanks to the persistence of independent researchers, investigative journalists, and courageous farmers, new evidence continues to emerge, exposing the hidden costs and devastating impacts of agrochemicals. Scientific studies provide the data, journalistic investigations bring these stories to light, and farming communities, often the most directly affected, speak out with compelling testimonies of harm and viable alternatives.
This collective advocacy is gradually shifting public opinion and empowering policymakers to challenge the status quo. Bans, like the one on paraquat in numerous countries, serve as crucial stepping stones, demonstrating that alternatives exist and that a future less reliant on toxic chemicals is not only possible but imperative.
Looking Ahead: A Vision for Sustainable Food Systems
The 2030 target to halve pesticide risk is ambitious, yet achievable. It demands a fundamental rethinking of our agricultural systems, moving away from a chemical-intensive paradigm towards one rooted in ecological principles and social equity. The vision is clear: a world where food production nurtures both human health and planetary well-being, where farmers are stewards of the land, and where the food on our plates is free from harmful residues.
One day, the use of paraquat, or any of the world’s most highly hazardous pesticides, on crops destined for our plates will seem as absurd as lighting a cigarette on a plane. This transformation will not happen overnight, nor will it be easy. It requires sustained, coordinated efforts from governments, international bodies, civil society, farmers, and consumers. It necessitates brave political leadership to resist industry pressure and embrace systemic change. By drawing on global lessons, supporting innovative agroecological practices, strengthening international conventions, and empowering local communities, humanity can collectively move towards a healthier, more biodiverse, and truly sustainable food future. The blueprint for action is laid out; the imperative now is to act boldly and decisively.
