Stockholm Convention parties to phase out toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos

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The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention on May 4, 2025, resolved to eliminate the use of Chlorpyrifos, a highly toxic pesticide.

Parties tripled the number of exemptions from the seven uses originally recommended by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) to 22, without the POPRC experts’ review.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate pesticide known for its damaging effects on the human nervous system. The pesticide is highly toxic, and there is strong evidence in humans that prenatal exposure causes adverse effects on neurodevelopment, with no safe dose of exposure.

According to the 2024 Pesticide Action Network International (PAN) Consolidated List of Bans, the chemical is already banned in at least 44 countries worldwide, including in the European Union (EU).

Dr Emily Marquez, senior scientist at PAN North America, highlighted, “PAN advocated for listing chlorpyrifos with no exemptions, as we’ve campaigned for decades to stop the use of this dangerous pesticide. The POPRC experts discuss the scientific evidence supporting any specific exemptions requested by Parties. Instead, Parties wishing to dodge the POPRC’s process submitted their requests during the COP, and these were accepted without any evaluation. PAN urges all Parties to respect the scientific committee’s guidance because protecting the scientific integrity of the POPRC process protects the Convention’s integrity. That is our guarantee to protect us and future generations from the impacts of persistent organic pollutants.”

Jayakumar Chelaton, chair of PAN International, said, “The years of work of members and regional centres along with PAN International across the globe with communities impacted and poisoned by chlorpyrifos got a promise of a toxic-free future from the Stockholm Convention this week.

The promise is, however, blurred by a few countries that added exemptions without review for protecting companies’ profits, thus weakening science-based decision-making. We failed to protect the future for our children. We urge countries that care for people to stop all uses and uphold listing in the Stockholm Convention Annex A without any exemptions.”

Alia Diyana, project coordinator at PAN Asia Pacific, also reflected, “This hard-won progress is overshadowed by last-minute requests for additional exemptions, despite the availability of safer alternatives. These exemptions continue to put people at risk, especially in parts of Asia where chlorpyrifos is still being used. With its persistent and bioaccumulative nature, chlorpyrifos does not stay within borders. It moves through the environment, enters women’s breast milk, and harms babies’ brain development even before birth.”

Maimouna Diene, coordinator at PAN Africa, said, “More than 95% of pesticides now being used in East Africa to fight locust swarms are scientifically proven to cause harm to humans and other organisms such as birds and fish. Half of the locust control pesticides delivered in East Africa contain chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to brain damage in children and foetuses, and wipes out honey bees and pollinators, which is banned in the EU.”

As the week transitions from Stockholm Convention negotiations to those of the Rotterdam Convention—another important agreement requiring informed consent and restrictions in the trade of hazardous chemicals—PAN International requests that all Parties list Chlorpyrifos under Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention.

Bernard Bwambale, from the Global Consumer Centre (GCC) and also the coordinator of a coalition of over 30 organisations advocating for safe food for consumers, deplored the trend of massive importation of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) to various markets in Uganda and across the African continent.

Bernard Bwambale, from the Global Consumer Centre (GCC) and also the coordinator of a coalition of over 30 organisations advocating for safe food for consumers. (Courtesy photo)

He said the importation of these pesticides continues despite clear specifications by the Globally Harmonised System (GHS), which provides criteria for the use of pesticides.

Bwambale noted that the GHS indicates exposure to Chlorpyrifos and Carbendazim—still in use by many unsuspecting farmers in Uganda—can lead to various forms of cancer and alterations to the genetic make-up.

What do Ugandan farmers use Carbendazim for?

Carbendazim is a fungicide commonly used in Uganda to control various fungal diseases in crops. Some of the crops and diseases it is used for include: Coffee, Bananas and Maize.

Carbendazim is used to control coffee berry disease (Colletotrichum kahawae) and other fungal diseases in coffee plantations. While in Bananas, it is used to control fungal diseases such as Black Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) and Yellow Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella musicola) in banana plantations.

In maize, carbendazim can be used to control fungal diseases such as maize streak virus and other leaf spot diseases.

However, toxicologists warn that farmers should take necessary safety precautions when handling and applying Carbendazim to avoid exposure.

“Some of these effects may not come in one year, they are chronic in nature, the more you get exposed, the more you keep on building the risk. Some of those pesticides are referred to as reproductive toxicants—implying that they could potentially affect an individual’s reproductive system,” Bwambale warned.

According to the European Union Chemical Agency (ECHA) database, Carbendazim is among the highly hazardous pesticides banned from EU markets. Sadly, it still finds its way into Ugandan and African markets, despite well-laid regulatory frameworks under the watch of the Ministry of Water and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.