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Mozambique has taken important regulatory measures to protect its people and environment by deregistering 79 highly hazardous pesticides. FAO worked with the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Service to help implement the ban and promote ecosystem-based approaches to pest and pesticide management.
Mozambique has seen an average annual growth of 500% in pesticide imports over the past decade. Agricultural pesticides are mainly used on cash crops such as cashews, tobacco, sugar cane, cotton, bananas and vegetables. Annual sales of pesticides are estimated at US$16.6 million. However, some of the products currently in use are highly hazardous.
Highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) are products that, due to their inherent chemical properties, present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to human health or the environment and have been included in internationally recognized classification systems or relevant binding international conventions. In addition, pesticides that appear to cause serious or irreversible harm to human health or the environment under current conditions of use in a country may be considered highly hazardous.
Most of these products are no longer permitted for use in developed countries, where producers have access to new, less risky pesticides, including biopesticides. Smallholder farmers are often unable to adequately manage risks when handling highly hazardous products and to prevent personal and environmental contamination. As a result, uncontrolled use of such products can lead to occupational poisoning.
The Mozambican government has issued a statement cancelling the registration of a number of pesticides that, under current conditions of use, could pose serious risks to human health and the environment. With this statement, the government has indicated its intention to refuse to register similar pesticides in the future.
FAO’s role in phasing out highly hazardous pesticides
In 2006, FAO member countries asked for help in reducing the risks of pesticides, including proactively banning such products and promoting alternative solutions.
Since then, a joint expert group of FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a series of criteria to help identify highly hazardous pesticides, and FAO has assisted several countries in addressing the risks posed by these compounds.
Often, the only effective risk reduction measure is to ban the product by deregistering it, or to make it available to certain groups of specialized users who are trained and able to manage the risks.
Mozambique case
In Mozambique, this work began in 2012, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, in coordination with the Ministry of Coordination of Environmental Affairs and the Ministry of Health. A team of experts carefully reviewed the list of pesticides allowed for use and pesticide import data and identified 79 formulations containing a total of 30 active ingredients. Many of these (17 active ingredients) had not been imported for several years because they were no longer used and could therefore be immediately cancelled.
Field investigations in provinces with high pesticide use confirmed that some of the shortlisted products currently in use have insufficient personal protection during handling and application, and insufficient awareness of the associated risks.
The products were withdrawn following a stakeholder consultation with commodity companies, the agrochemical industry, civil society and producer representatives, who assessed the impact of phasing out these products and identified viable alternative solutions. Nine active ingredients were withdrawn after lower risk alternatives were registered for use in Mozambique and became available. The remaining four active ingredients are expected to be withdrawn by the end of 2014.
FAO continues to work with the Ministry of Agriculture to help strengthen the capacity of producers to better use ecological approaches to manage crops and pests and diseases by protecting important ecosystem services such as natural biological control.
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