Ch 11: Avoid the use of highly hazardous pesticides on the Fall Armyworm

The use of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) to control Fall Armyworm (FAW) has been reported in several African countries. Under the conditions of use prevailing in these countries, HHPs pose great concerns for human health and the environment.

It should be noted that:

• FAO has been mandated by the Council in 2006 and again in 2013 to assist member countries in reducing risks posed by highly hazardous pesticides

• The International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management under article 7.5 stipulates that Prohibition of the importation, distribution, sale and purchase of highly hazardous pesticides may be considered if, based on risk assessment, risk mitigation measures or good marketing practices are insufficient to ensure that the product can be handled without unacceptable risk to humans and the environment

• The fourth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) in 2015 called for concerted action to address highly hazardous pesticides (resolution SAICM/ICCM.4/15)

• FAO and WHO have issued the Guidelines on Highly Hazardous Pesticides in 2017 to provide criteria for the identification of highly hazardous pesticides and guidance on risk mitigation.

Definition:

Highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) are pesticides that are acknowledged to present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health or environment according to internationally accepted classification systems such as the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) or their listing in relevant binding international agreements or conventions. In addition, pesticides that appear to cause severe or irreversible harm to health or the environment under conditions of use in a country may be considered to be and treated as highly hazardous (Code of Conduct).

Criteria:

The FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) has defined eight criteria to identify highly hazardous pesticides:

1. Pesticide formulations that meet the criteria of Classes Ia or Ib of the WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard;
2. Pesticide active ingredients and their formulations that meet the criteria of carcinogenicity Categories 1A and 1B of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS);
3. Pesticide active ingredients and their formulations that meet the criteria of mutagenicity Categories 1A and 1B of the GHS;
4. Pesticide active ingredients and their formulations that meet the criteria of reproductive toxicity Categories 1A and 1B of the GHS;
5. Pesticide active ingredients listed by the Stockholm Convention in its Annexes A and B, and those meeting all the criteria in paragraph 1 of Annex D of the Convention;
6. Pesticide active ingredients and formulations listed by the Rotterdam Convention in its Annex III;
7. Pesticides listed under the Montreal Protocol;
8. Pesticide active ingredients and formulations that have shown a high incidence of severe or irreversible adverse effects on human health or the environment.

For criteria 1-7 there are reference lists and related guidance can be found in the Annex 1 of the FAO/ WHO Guidelines on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). Assessment as to whether an active ingredient of a formulation would fall under Criterion 8 is more complex as this depends on the actual situation in individual countries.

For the selection of pesticides to control Fall Armyworm, criterion 8 is however particularly relevant due to the constraints that many countries face in controlling conditions of use. Some African countries have already taken the appropriate measures to phase out highly hazardous pesticides.

FAO Environmental and Social Risk Management requires that all pesticide use in FAO field activities be considered and cleared by FAO’s Plant Production and Protection Division (AGP).