The use of pesticides in Brazil and the risks linked to human health / O uso de pesticidas no Brasil e os riscos associados à saúde humana

Abstract

The increased demand for food has intensified large-scale production systems, mainly represented by monocultures that encourage the indiscriminate use of pesticides. These products have been considered a public health concern around the world, being responsible for environmental and food contamination, which lead to risks to human health. Globally, one can note a discrepancy in the regulation of these chemicals among countries, with a wide range of maximum accepted levels of contaminants depending on the country. In Brazil, agriculture has been the main economic activity over centuries, which have led commonly to the use of huge amounts of pesticides, i.e., ~ 620,000 tons pesticides in 2019. This study aims at to discuss the regulatory differences in Brazil visà-vis in respecting to other countries and correlating them with the worsening of the

Strategies and Public Policies for Soil and Water Conservation and Food Production in Brazil

“…Meanwhile Mello et al [123] highlight the need to protect the water due to land use and land cover, such as deforestation, agriculture expansion, and urban sprawl in Brazil, to be able to supply water of high quality in the long term. The pesticide laws and regulations in Brazil need to be revised, taking into account the criteria used in countries where the use of pesticides has been reduced [124].…”