PMFAI comments on US Court’s chlorpyrifos ruling

USA Court rules US Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) banning use of insecticide Chlorpyrifos arbitrary:  US Farmers groups applauds Court ruling defending science-based regulations.

Farmers and Agriculture interest groups in USA are applauding the ruling of United States Court of Appeals’ Eighth Circuit of 2nd November 2023 in which the Court vacated the US EPA’s ban on use of popular insecticide Chlorpyrifos on Food crops. While giving its decision the Court also observed that EPA disregarded its own scientists’ findings on uses of Chlorpyrifos while determining safety and efficacy of the product.

Earlier in 2002, the Agriculture groups including Sugar Growers Association; Soybean Growers Associations; Fruits & Vegetable Associations and Soybean Growers Associations etc filed a lawsuit against EPA’s banning of Chlorpyrifos which restricted them to use the product on crops, where the groups also highlighted high benefits and low risk of the tool for agricultural uses and appealed to review and vacate EPA’s ban order of chlorpyrifos. 

The decision of the court also hailed by Farming community all over the world, as Chlorpyrifos is a broad spectrum product used in Farming and Public Health and is one of the cheapest product available to Farmers all over the world. Chlorpyrifos is most effective product against migratory Locust attack and is recommended by FAO/WHO.

The Farm groups and growers’ associations of sugarbeet, soybean, wheat, cherry and cotton groups in USA applauded Court’s ruling which they observe rightly served relief, as growers experienced higher costs in protecting their crops from pests.  In the absence of chlorpyrifos, growers were compelled to resort to use multiple pesticides without getting desired effectiveness.

Growers were eager to restore use of chlorpyrifos in 2024 growing season, as they have suffered losses in 2022 and 2023 and the US court’s ruling is timely. 

Heads of Farm Groups and Growers Associations in USA appreciated the ruling of the Court which now helps them use this most economically viable and effective product to control pests on their crops.

India is one of the largest manufacturers and users of Chlorpyrifos with present production of around 20,000 M.T. Indian farmers use this cheapest and affordable product on multiple crops since 1977 without any adverse impact reported on human and animal health and environment.  Hazard classification of Chlorpyrifos by various regulatory authorities worldwide remains unchanged despite its first registration since 1965. Chlorpyrifos is still described as comparatively low mammalian toxicity, non-skin irritant, not a skin sensitizer, non-mutagenic and non-carcinogen.

The ruling by US Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit is important and gives right directions to regulatory authorities all over the world including India, as any move to restrict or ban use of Chlorpyrifos will harm interests of Farmers.

To access and read the ruling of US Eighth Circuit Court, please click the link - https://www.fb.org/imgz/Chlorpyrifos-Opinion-Vacating-Final-Rule.pdf.