Consumption of phytosanitary products in Brazil

Fundamental detail: phytosanitary products should only be used when necessary, within integrated agricultural pest management programs (weeds, fungi, nematodes, insects, mites, etc.). Agriculture in Brazil is mostly practiced in tropical environments, where the occurrence and severity of pests is greater than in temperate regions, due to the harsh winter, which naturally reduces pests and their damage. Brazil is the only country in the world that has adopted a new term to designate substances used to protect plants: pesticides. The term, in itself, already creates, in society, a certain aversion, beyond what is reasonable, towards these products. In other countries they are called agrochemicals, plant protectors, pesticides, pesticides, etc. In Mercosur, attempts are made to standardize the term phytosanitary product. Finally, the National Congress recently approved the elimination of the term pesticide from Brazilian legislation.

Phytosanitary products are used all over the world. According to data from SINDIVEG, from Brazil, and Phillips McDougall International Consulting, in 2015 sales of these products in Brazil corresponded to 18,5% of the global total. Latin America consumed 28% of pesticides. Brazil is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world, with almost 300 million hectares occupied by annual, semi-perennial and perennial crops, planted forests and pastures. Everything, from a parsley patch to large areas with soybeans, corn and sugarcane, are subject to various pests, which require management and, often, the application of pesticides.

Phytosanitary products are purchased by farmers as commercial or formulated products. The containers contain technical products (active, biologically effective ingredients and possible impurities) and additives, such as solvents, spreaders, adhesives, etc. normally called "inert". On average, 44,5% of the commercial product is an active ingredient. Thus, if the quantity of commercial pesticide products used in Brazil in 2015 was 887,6 thousand tons, the quantity of active ingredients (a.i.) was 395,6 thousand tons. There are several ways to express the consumption of phytosanitary products. Simply the total consumed, or even the total per hectare cultivated is not the most correct. Just remember that, while the growth in the use of pesticides in Brazil was 14% in the last five years, grain production increased by 40% in the same period. In other words, less quantity used per ton of grains. Or even, we are doing better every year. Considering only the area of ​​grains, coffee, sugarcane, fruits and vegetables, which consume 96,8% of pesticides, consumption was 4,99 kg a.i./ha. However, considering the areas with planted forests and cultivated pastures, consumption was 2,3 kg a.i./ha. Available data on the consumption of phytosanitary products around the world show quite variable values, in kg of i. a./ha: Holland, 20,8; Japan, 17,5; Belgium, 12,0; Franca, 6,0; England, 5,8.

Considering only grain production in Brazil, with an average productivity of 3.500 kg/ha, consumption was 1,4 g ai/kg of grain. As phytosanitary products undergo degradation after being applied and must comply with the withdrawal period (time between last application and harvest), the amount of residue in food is, on average, very low. This has been confirmed in residue analyzes (MRL: Maximum Residue Limit) of public and private food quality monitoring programs carried out in Brazil.