Brazil Congress passes controversial pesticide bill

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, passed a controversial bill relaxing the control and approval of pesticides in Brazil, known by its critics as the Poison Bill (PL do Veneno), championed by its promoters as a modernization of the agricultural sector.

The bill, which has been pending since 2002, secured 301 votes in favor, 150 against and 2 abstentions, and must still be passed by the Senate before it becomes law. A special Upper House committee had passed the bill in 2018.

This approval was achieved with the backing of allies of the Jair Bolsonaro government, which has promoted a number of bills favoring agribusiness since its inauguration in 2019, widely challenged by environmental groups.

In broad terms, the bill relaxes the rules for the use of agrochemicals in Brazil, a term that is changed to “pesticides,” and grants the Ministry of Agriculture the power to authorize new products, a process that currently includes the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) and the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA).

Environmentalists warn that the text – if approved – could entail health risks, since it will remove the required evaluations to assess the impact on people and the environment. On the other hand, its advocates assure that its approval will increase production, lower food prices and improve food security in Brazil.

Deputy Diego Andrade pointed out that Brazil needs “defensive (agricultural) products, such as it needs the vaccine, which are also a solution,” according to the Chamber of Deputies’ news agency.

Opposition leader, Deputy Alessandro Molon argued that the bill will have “irreversible” consequences on the population’s health, and accused Bolsonaro’s government of “negligence.” “They are releasing poison to put it on one’s plate,” he said, claiming that – should it become law – products that cause cancer will no longer be considered toxic.

Greenpeace environmental organization reaffirmed the position it had expressed against the bill in 2021 when the vote was imminent: “Bolsonaro’s government and the rural deputies are (…) choosing an agricultural production model that causes disease, deforestation and death.”