House committee approves changing the term "agrotóxico" (pesticide) to "defensivo agrícola" (agricultural pesticide).

The Agriculture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved Bill 2556/25, which amends Law No. 14.785/2023 to replace the terms "agrotóxico" and "agrotóxicos" with "defensivo agrícola" and "defensivos agrícolas". The rapporteur, Deputy Nelson Barbudo (PL-MT), gave a favorable opinion on the proposal by Deputy Henderson Pinto (MDB-PA).

The bill also includes in the law the definition of "agricultural pesticide" as a broad term encompassing pesticides, herbicides, plant protection products, and plant protection products. The justification argues that the term "agrochemical," coined in 1977, no longer reflects the reality of modern inputs, which are more selective and less toxic.

According to the author of the proposal, the current term carries an "ideological bias" and distances society from a technical understanding of the use of technologies in agriculture. The text also highlights that Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country that still officially uses the word "agrotóxico" (pesticide). The terminological substitution seeks to align Brazilian legislation with global standards, such as the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), adopted since 2009.

According to the approved opinion, the change does not relax safety or inspection rules. The rapporteur argues that the new vocabulary contributes to a fairer and more technical debate about food production.

The proposal is being processed in a conclusive manner and will still be analyzed by the Consumer Protection Committee and the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee. If approved, it will proceed to the Senate.