Pesticide lifecycle management in agriculture and public health: Where are the gaps?

Abstract

Pesticide lifecycle management encompasses a range of elements from legislation, regulation, manufacturing, application, risk reduction, monitoring, and enforcement to disposal of pesticide waste. A survey was conducted in 2017–2018 to describe the contemporary global status of pesticide lifecycle management, to identify where the gaps are found. A three-tiered questionnaire was distributed to government entities in 194 countries. The response rate was 29%, 27% and 48% to the first, second and third part of the questionnaire, respectively. The results showed gaps for most of the selected indicators of pesticide management, suggesting that pesticide efficacy and safety to human health and the environment are likely being compromised at various stages of the pesticide lifecycle, and at varying degrees across the globe. Low-income countries generally had the highest incidence of gaps. Particular shortcomings were deficiencies in pesticide legislation, inadequate capacity for pesticide registration, protection against occupational exposure to pesticides, consumer protection against residues in food, and environmental protection against pesticide contamination. Policy support for, and implementation of, pesticide use-reduction strategies such as integrated pest management and integrated vector management has been inadequate across regions. Priority actions for structural improvement in pesticide lifecycle management are proposed, including pesticide use-reduction strategies, targeted interventions, and resource mobilization.

Suggested policy and legislation reforms to reduce deleterious effect of pesticides in Lebanon

“…It is a fact that no developing country will ever possess the resources needed to maintain comprehensive control over all the components of pesticides lifecycles. In a study conducted by Van den Berg et al. (2020) on gaps in the pesticide lifecycle management in agriculture and public health in both developed and developing countries, it was shown that global shortcomings exist but are more aggravated in the developing countries ( Van den Berg et al., 2020 ).…”

“…In a study conducted by Van den Berg et al. (2020) on gaps in the pesticide lifecycle management in agriculture and public health in both developed and developing countries, it was shown that global shortcomings exist but are more aggravated in the developing countries ( Van den Berg et al., 2020 ). It is also a fact that no country in the world, even the wealthiest one, will ever have the ultimate lifecycle management performing at 100% certainty ( Centner, 2018 ; Stehle and Schulz, 2015 ; Storck et al., 2017 ).…”

“…Based on this approach, “Prevention” would be the best curing proposition. Countries which score less than 50% on their pesticide lifecycle management in an international assessment fostered by a UN global initiative, similar to the one proposed by Van den Berg et al. (2020) , should completely refrain or even be compulsory prevented from using any pesticides on their territories, except those of WHO class VI.…”

Management of insecticides for use in disease vector control: a global survey

“…Questions with binary or numeric responses were selected for analysis. Questions with narrative responses, questions that appeared to be ambiguous in retrospect, and several questions that had been used in a more broad-based pesticide study [12] were excluded from the analysis.…”

Lifecycle Management of Insecticides Used for Disease Vector Control: A Global Survey

“…For analysis of results, countries were grouped according to the United Nations Regional Groups of Member States[13]. This classi cation differentiates the African, Asia-Paci c, Latin American & Caribbean, were pooled together with those of the Western European & Others Group into the 'European & Others Group'.…”