Chlorpyrifos Pesticide

News: Indian civil societies have called for an immediate ban on chlorpyrifos in the upcoming 2025 Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COP).

About Chlorpyrifos Pesticide

• It is an organophosphate pesticide widely used in India to control a variety of insect pests in agriculture.
• It is classified as ‘moderately hazardous’ by the World Health Organization and continues to be used in India on a variety of crops.
• It is approved for use on 18 crops (under Insecticides Act, 1968) in India despite banned or restricted in over 40 countries.
• Advocacy to ban: India’s Pesticide Action Network (PAN) is advocating for an immediate ban on chlorpyrifos under Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions.

About Basel Convention (1989)

• It is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs).
• It does not address the movement of radioactive waste.

Rotterdam Convention (2004)

• Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedures (PIC) entered into force in 2004.
• It is an international treaty designed to facilitate informed decision-making by countries with regard to trade in hazardous chemicals.

Stockholm Convention (2004)

• It is a global treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
• The Convention entered into force on May 17, 2004, and has been ratified by over 152 countries.

Note– India ratified the Stockholm Convention and Rotterdam Convention in 2006. Both the conventions are legally binding.