Pesticides in Brazil
An NGO report finds that Brazil is the largest annual buyer of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), a technical designation by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. HHPs contain active ingredients with extremely acute toxicity and having chronic negative impacts on human health and the environment.
Interestingly, several HHPs sold in Brazil are prohibited for use in their countries of origin. One example is the herbicide paraquat, banned for use in Switzerland and throughout Europe since 2007. It is associated with cases of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, pulmonary fibrosis and genetic mutations.