Agrochemicals, Environment, and Human Health

Abstract

Global consumption of agrochemicals continues to rise, despite growing evidence of their adverse effects on environmental quality and human health. The extent of increase varies across nations, by type of chemical compounds and by severity of the detrimental impacts. The differential impacts are largely attributable to the level of technology adoption and regulation as well as their enforcement and compliance. The article highlights gaps in technical, legal, and social aspects, which include the paucity of holistic and long-term ecological impact assessment frameworks and lack of consideration for the social dimensions of pesticide use in regulatory decisions. Bridging these gaps, establishing global cooperation for regulation and governance, and a regional/national-level monitoring mechanism are suggested. This, complemented with a policy shift from the current approach of productivity enhancement to augmenting agroecosystem services, would encourage sustainable and nature-positive agriculture equipped to meet the multiple challenges of food security, ecological safety, and climate resilience.