Hundreds of new pesticides approved in Brazil under Bolsonaro

Many of those permitted since far-right president took power are banned in Europe

Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
Wed 12 Jun 2019 11.00 BST Last modified on Wed 12 Jun 2019 20.10 BST

Brazil has approved hundreds of new pesticide products since its far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, took power in January, and more than 1,000 since 2016, a study has found. Many of those approved are banned in Europe.

Of 169 new pesticides sanctioned up to 21 May this year, 78 contain active ingredients classified as highly hazardous by the Pesticide Action Network and 24 contain active ingredients banned in the EU, according to the study published on Wednesday by Greenpeace UK’s news agency Unearthed. Another 28 pesticides not included in the report were approved in the last days of 2018.

“It really appears that they have accelerated their approvals process,” said Prof David Eastmond, a toxicologist at the University of California, Riverside. “Some of these are highly hazardous and this raises concern.”

Brazil began accelerating pesticide approvals in September 2016 after Michel Temer, a conservative politician with close agribusiness links, assumed the presidency. Bolsonaro also won the presidency with strong support from the agribusiness sector.

Since Temer took office, 1,270 pesticides have been approved – double the number in the previous four years. Of those, 193 contained active ingredients banned in the EU, Unearthed found using data from Brazil’s agriculture ministry.

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