Indicator Code: PEST
Objective: Ecosystem Vitality
Policy Category: Productive Natural Resources
Subcategory: Agriculture
Indicator Short Name: Pesticide Regulation
Indicator Full Name: Degree of Regulation of Toxic Pesticides
Indicator Description: Pesticides are a significant source of pollution in the environment, affecting both human and ecosystem health. Pesticides damage ecosystem health by killing beneficial insects, pollinators, and fauna they support. Human exposure to pesticides has been linked to increases in headaches, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, hand tremors, and other neurological symptoms. Furthermore, many of the pesticides included in this index are persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disruptors, or carcinogens.
Our indicator of pesticide use examines the legislative status of countries on two landmark agreements on pesticide usage, the Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, and also rates the degree to which these countries have followed through on the objectives of the conventions by limiting or outlawing the use of certain toxic chemicals. While the Rotterdam convention focuses on trade restrictions and proper labeling of toxic substances, the Stockholm convention seeks to limit or ban the use of the 12 most toxic persistent organic pollutants which bio accumulate and move long distances in the environment.
While ideally, we would use an output measure rather than a legislative measure for this indicator, we concluded after extensive research that the robust data on pesticide usage – especially for banned pesticides for which official data may be scant – were simply not available. While legislative controls do not always match the situation on the ground, this indictor sends a clear message to countries that setting standards for pesticides use is an essential first step in controlling the degree to which toxics are used at a national scale.
Units: 22 Point Scale, with 0 representing the lowest score, and 22 the highest
Country Coverage: 238
Reference Year: 2003
Target: 22 points
Target Source: Expert Judgment
Short Source: YCELP calculation based on data from the Rotterdam Convention and the Stockholm Convention.
Source: YCELP calculation based on data from the Rotterdam Convention and the Stockholm Convention
Source URL: Rotterdam Convention. Available at http://www.pic.int/home.php?type=t&id=5&sid=16
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Available at http://www.pops.int/.
Methodology: The indicator encompasses 11 criteria, each of which have a maximum of two possible points. The first two criteria measure whether, and to what degree countries have participated in the conventions. Under the Rotterdam Convention, countries receive 2 points if they are a party and have designated a national authority for its implementation, 1 point if they are a party but have no national authority, and 0 points if they are not a party. Under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, countries receive 2 points if they are a party and have created a national implementation plan (NIP), 1 point if they are a party but have no NIP, and 0 points if they are not a party. These data are available via the respective convention secretariats.
The next nine criteria indicate whether countries have banned (for a score of 2), restricted (for a score of 1), or taken no action (for a score of 0) on regulating the nine of the “dirty dozen” persistent organic pollutants. These include aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, and toxaphene. Data for these criteria were collected from the United Nations Environment Programme Chemicals.
Country performance is a simple sum of the scores across the 11 criteria for a maximum possible score of 22.
Additional Citations: United Nations Enviroment Programme, Chemicals. Master List of Actions on the Reduction and/or Releases of Persistent Organic Pollutants. June 2003