Brazil drives increase in pesticide use worldwide, says UN

The amount of pesticides used worldwide increased by 4% in 2022 to 3.7 million tonnes, driven by Brazil, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( UN ) (FAO).

According to the latest data from the UN agency, Brazil continued to be by far the largest user of pesticides, 801 thousand tons, 11% more than in 2021.

US farmers came in second with 468,000 tonnes in 2022, up 2%.

In both countries, farmers generally limit tillage to fields of important crops such as wheat, corn and soybeans, which requires more herbicides.

In terms of quantity per hectare, among the largest global users, Vietnam and Brazil form the leading pair, with more than 10 kilos of pesticides per hectare.

Due to the weight of Brazil (21% of global pesticide consumption) and the United States (13% of global consumption), the American continent has been the largest consumer in the world since the mid-1990s, with a new jump of 10% in 2022, to 1.89 million tons.

Adding up all the countries, this continent represents more than half (51%) of global consumption.

The second-largest consuming region, Asia, cut pesticide use by 1% in 2022 to 1.05 million tonnes after years of increases, and the amount used per hectare is lower than the world average of 1.60 kilograms.

On the other hand, Asia is by far the largest exporter of pesticides: 3.5 million tonnes, worth 21.7 billion dollars (20.7 billion euros).

Ranked third among consuming regions, Europe (13% of global consumption) reduced its use of pesticides by 7% in 2022, to 480,000 tonnes.

In Africa, consumption stabilized in 2022, at 209 thousand tons, a thousand tons less than the previous year. This continent accounted for only 5% of global consumption over the last ten years.

In addition to wiping out the species they target, pesticides are having devastating effects on hundreds of types of microbes, fungi, plants, insects, fish, birds and mammals across the planet, according to the first study to assess the impact of pesticides on all types of species in terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

The research, conducted by an international team and led by the East China University of Science and Technology, was published on February 13 in Nature Communications and concludes that pesticides are a major cause of the biodiversity crisis.

The team reviewed more than 1,700 laboratory and field studies on the effects of 471 different types of pesticides.

In more than 800 species, pesticides affected growth rate, reproductive success and even altered behaviors such as the ability to capture prey, find plants to feed on, move around or attract a mate.