Public Regulatory Roles in Developing Markets: The Case of Pesticides

Abstract

Discussions of pesticide regulation in developing countries centre around three broad sets of questions: (i) whether poor countries divert resources towards environmental protection; (ii) whether countries face a trade-off between productivity growth and environmental protection; and (iii) whether developed country regulatory policies are appropriate for and transferable to developing countries. This paper reviews the current situation in developing countries with respect to pesticide use, trade and regulation, and assesses potential regulatory options for reducing the social costs of pesticide use. Regulatory policies are discussed relative to the above three questions and viable regulatory options are determined.