In the United States, agricultural exports account for over thirty percent of gross farm income. While farmers rely on export markets for their livelihood, an increasing number of non-tariff measures imposed by U.S. trading partners threaten to undermine their ability to export. One growing area of concern is a shift occurring in some countries to establish pesticide maximum residue levels based on hazard rather than based on full risk assessments. The shift to hazard-based regulation is likely to lead to substances that could be used safely to increase crop yield being removed from the market, without offering any increased protection for consumers. Global cooperation is critical to ensure that the core principles of science and risk-based decision-making established in international organizations such as the Codex Alimentarius are maintained, and that the results of hazard assessments are not misused to create consumer fear and mistrust of regulatory decision-making. We need to work together to ensure that the shift toward hazard-based regulation is not normalized internationally.

Pesticide regulation and trade: National and international considerations

256th National Meeting (2018)

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