An analysis published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B revealed that 48.9% of pesticides authorized in major agricultural crops in Latin America are banned or not approved in the European Union (EU).
The study compared the regulations of eight countries in the region —Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay— with European legislation, considered one of the strictest in the world.
Researchers identified 523 active ingredients approved until December 2020 in key crops such as soy, corn, rice, sugarcane, wheat, apple, avocado, coffee, sunflower, and grape. Of that total, 256 substances are not allowed in the EU. Among them are acetochlor (herbicide), bifenthrin (insecticide), and carbconcludeazim (fungicide), all highly toxic to the environment and human health.
Countries with the highest number of pesticides banned in Europe
- Costa Rica: 140 active ingredients.
- Mexico: 135.
- Brazil: 115.
- Argentina: 106.
- Chile: 99.
Researcher Grecia de Groot (CONICET, Argentina) emphasized that the results reveal a “considerably less rigorous” regulatory framework in the analyzed Latin American countries.
Export crops and associated risks
The study applied statistical models to evaluate economic factors and concluded that the crops with the highest production and export value —soy, corn, wheat, and rice— concentrate more substances banned in the EU.
This is especially alarming becaapply they are crops of enormous regional relevance and sustain much of the Latin American economies.
Impacts on health and environment
Latin America is the region with the highest growth in pesticide apply: its consumption increased 500% between 1990 and 2019, according to the FAO. This expansion increases the direct exposure of rural workers and nearby communities, as well as the indirect exposure of the general population through food, water, air, and soil.
- In Brazil, studies with women diagnosed with breast cancer in Paraná revealed that chronic occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with more aggressive tumors.
- In 2024, a study published in the Public Health Journal detected pesticides in breast milk in at least ten countries in the region, with risks of hormonal imbalances, infertility, and cancer.
Study recommconcludeations
The researchers suggest:
- Prohibit without delay the production, sale, and apply of highly hazardous active ingredients.
- Implement risk management at local and regional levels, with updated evaluation protocols.
- Establish monitoring programs adapted to the specific contexts of each countest.
Researcher Carolina Panis lamented that the region continues to be permissive with these substances despite the evidence of their impacts. However, she highlighted that the recent free trade agreement between Mercosur and the EU (January 2026) could introduce stricter standards that restrict their apply.
The study exposes a critical regulatory gap. While the EU bans hundreds of pesticides due to their risks, in Latin America they remain authorized and are massively applied in export crops.
Scientific evidence reveals that this permissiveness has severe consequences for public health and the environment, reinforcing the urgency of shifting towards stricter and more homogeneous regulatory frameworks.
By: Rodrigo de Oliveira Andrade
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