Pesticide Use in Brazil

Susmita DasguptaCraig Meisner

Nlandu Mamingi

DECRG-IE, The World Bank

Exports and imports of agricultural products

Source: FAO, 1999

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Year

Val

ue

(mil

lio

n U

S$

)

Imports Exports

Trade of agricultural commodities has increased to record levels in the 1990s

Growth in agricultural production and key export crops, 1990-1997

Source: FAO, 1999

A significant proportion of this growth is attributable to major export crops

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Agricultural cropsexcl. exports

Major exportcrops

Soybeans, Sugarcane, Cocoa,

Coffee, Cotton,Tobacco, Fruit

% g

row

th

Sales of pesticide more than doubled from 1990 ($US 1.08 billion) to 1998 ($US 2.56 billion) (ANDEF, 1998)

Pesticide use has increased from 61,820 tons of active ingredients in 1989 to 113,933 tons in 1997 (SINDAG, 1997)

Brazil, one of the top 5 users worldwide, accounted for 40% of total consumption in Latin America (O Estado São Paulo, 1996)

Total sales of pesticides over time

Source: ANDEF, 1998

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Year

US

$ m

illio

n

Sales of pesticides over time

Source: ANDEF, 1998

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998Year

Million

s (U

S $

)

TotalHerbicidesInsecticides/AcaracidesFungicides

During the 1990s, herbicide sales dominated, accounting for 54% of total pesticide use followed by insecticides-acaricides (28%) and fungicides (16%)

Composition of pesticide use, 1997

Herbicides54%

Fungicides15%

Other8%

Insecticides & acaricides

23%

Brazil currently uses 655 different brands of herbicides, 815 insecticides, 343 fungicides and 136 other pesticides

48% of pesticides are classified by the WHO as either class 1a (extremely hazardous) or 1b (highly hazardous)

Source: ANDEF, 1998

Number of pesticide-related intoxication cases1993-1998

Source: SINITOX, 1999

The number of pesticide-related intoxications has been steadily rising, mostly in the Southeast

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Year

Num

ber

of c

ases

T o t a l

Southeast

South

Northeast

Central west

North

Number of pesticide-related deaths1993-1998

Source: SINITOX, 1999

With a significant number of these intoxications resulting in death

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Year

Nu

mb

er o

f ca

ses Total

South

Northeast

Southeast

Central west

North

300,000 cases of pesticide intoxication and 10,000 deaths each year (O Globo, 1996; PANNA,

1997); Costs: US$ 47 million annually (O Globo, 1996)

Evidence of the environmental impacts of pesticide use

Organophosphate and pyrethroid residues exceed WHO standards in 35.3% of water samples collected from irrigation and drinking water (Inoue et al., 1993).

Reported poisoning of millions of birds in furadan-treated wheat fields in Santa Catarina (PANNA, 1994).

Pulverization of tomatoes have contaminated wells and ponds with organophosphates in Pernambuco (Jornal do Comercio, 1997).

Inappropriate management of pesticides has resulted in serious soil contamination in Bahia (A Tarde, 1997).

Geographical Pattern of Pesticide Use

ijCONSERVijLUSESIZEijOWNiPROPUSEj

jj

jijj

jj

j 43210

ii

jj

MINCOMEMINCOMEij

CROP 2

765 ii UEDUC

8

The Model

i = municipality 1,...., 4909

j = jth category of the relevant variable

Variable description

PROPUSE - Proportion of agricultural land reporting pesticide use

OWN Owner, Renter, Sharecropper, Squatter

SIZE <10 ha, 10-100 ha, 100-1000, 1000-10000, 10000+

LUSE Permanent crop, Temporary crop, Seed production, Livestock, Crop & Livestock, Aquaculture, Charcoal production

CONSERV Conservation tillage

MINCOME Median income of the head of the household

EDUC Percentage of population with secondary education

CROP 76 major crops in Brazil

Pattern of Propensity to Use Pesticide (%)Variable Regression Coefficient (all significant at 10% level

of significance)

Intercept -0.125

Median Income 3.43E-06

Square of Median Income -9.46E-12

Proportion of Population with Secondary Education

0.001

Proportion of Individual Owners -0.070

Proportion of Sharecroppers 0.103

Proportion of Farm Size :10-100 ha -0.158

Proportion of Farm Size:1000-10000 ha 0.291

Proportion of farms with Conservation tillage 0.282

Proportion of farms with Crop-livestock land us 0.239

Cocoa 0.063

Coffee -0.204

Cotton 1.038

Soybean 0.793

Sugar 0.494

Tobacco 0.884

Fruits 0.355

Vegetables 0.262

Grains 0.158

Findings

Income and Education are important

Ownership type matters

Size class matters

Land use pattern is important

Conservation tillage is important

Crop pattern is a significant determinant

Pesticide use for major export crops

Source: ANDEF, 1998

Other crops35%

Soybeans29%

Fruits17%

Cotton3%

Cocoa0%

Tobacco0%

Coffee5%

Sugar11%

Major export crops67%

Soybeans, Fruits Sugarcane, Coffee, Cotton, Tobacco and Cocoa accounted for 25% of total agricultural exports during 1997

Proportion of active ingredients belonging to each toxicity category across the receiving environment

Environmental category High risk Medium risk Low risk Total Humans – acute toxicity 13 33 54 100

(i.e. rats) Oral LD50 < 50 Oral LD50 50-500 Oral LD50 > 500

Mammals 17 30 52 100 (i.e. rats, rabbits, mice) Oral LD50 < 50 Oral LD50 50-500 Oral LD50 > 500

Birds 21 20 59 100 (i.e. quail, pheasants) Oral LD50 < 50 Oral LD50 50-500 Oral LD50 > 500

Aquatic organisms 77 18 5 100 (i.e. fathead minnows, trout) LC50 < 50 1 LC50 50-500 LD50 > 500

Note: Numbers may not necessarily add to 100 due to rounding. 1 LC50 in mg/liter (=ppm); LD50 in mg/kg. Sources: World Bank (1993), Tomlin (1994)

Global Pesticide Statistics

Worldwide, about 2.6 million tons of active ingredients are applied worth about $US38 billion (Aspelin, 1997)

Worldwide there are 700,000 cases of pesticide-related occupational intoxications, 300,000 accidents, 735,000 chronic intoxications, 2 million suicides each year (WHO, 1996)