Pesticides are a significant source of toxics in the environment, affecting both human and ecosystem health. Although newer pest control agents are often less toxic than earlier ones, pesticide-related problems remain, including the persistent use and mismanagement of toxic agents which persist in the environment beyond their intended usage as crop protection agents. Widespread use of agricultural chemicals can expose farm workers to acute levels of pesticide and the general population to low levels of pesticide residues on food. Acute exposure to pesticides has been linked to increases in headaches, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, hand tremors, and other neurological symptoms. Pesticides also damage ecosystem health by killing beneficial insects, pollinators, and fauna
Given the lack of pesticide use and impact data the EPI measures Pesticide Regulation, a policy variable that tracks government attention to the issue. The Pesticide Regulation indicator is based on national participation in the Rotterdam Convention, which controls trade restriction and regulations for toxic chemicals, and the Stockholm convention, which bans the use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). POPs are toxic pollutants that bioaccumulate and move long distances in the environment. Accordingly the Pesticide Regulation indicator also considers national efforts to ban the 9 POPs which are relevant to agriculture: Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Hexachlorobenzene, Mirex, and Toxaphene.
The two treaties and nine pollutants create a total of 11 measures, each assigned two points, for a total possible target score of 22. Countries receive the full 22 points if they have signed both conventions and submitted a national implementation plan, as well as banning the 9 POPs. If countries have only signed the convention, but submitted no implementation plan, they receive a score of “1” for that measure, and if they are not party to the convention they receive a score of “0”. A banned pesticide receives a score of “2,” a restricted pesticide a score of “1,” and a pesticide with no regulation receives a “0”.
