Mexico Moves Toward a New Decree to Ban Hazardous Pesticides

The Mexican government is working on the publication of a new decree aimed at banning the use of certain pesticides. This measure is part of a broader strategy to transform the country’s agricultural model toward more sustainable practices.

During her morning conference on Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) is working on a decree to ban certain pesticides still permitted in Mexico but banned in many other countries due to the health and environmental risks they pose. The president emphasized that while glyphosate is already prohibited, many other pesticides, such as DDT, have not yet been formally banned, even though they are no longer widely sold. 

DDT has been linked to toxicity in the nervous system, liver and kidney damage, hormonal alterations, and an increased cancer risk, as well as cognitive developmental issues in children. In the environment, its persistence and bioaccumulation ability make it a dangerous pollutant, affecting wildlife by weakening the eggshells of birds of prey and marine mammals. Due to these impacts, the United States banned its agricultural use in 1972, and the 2001 Stockholm Convention restricted its use to malaria control in certain countries and under strict regulations.

The president underscored that this initiative is part of a comprehensive strategy to transform Mexico’s agricultural model toward more sustainable and healthier practices. Moreover, she pointed out that the complete list of banned pesticides includes many that are associated with chronic diseases, soil contamination, and biodiversity damage. “This is a crucial step to protect our farmers, consumers, and ecosystems,” Sheinbaum noted.

Organizations Call for Pesticide Ban in Mexico

In December 2024, on International Pesticide-Free Day, more than 500 organizations sent a letter to the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), as well as SADER and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). The letter highlighted that Mexico still uses 204 highly hazardous pesticides (PAP) authorized by COFEPRIS. The petitioners warned that many of the permits for these pesticides were granted with indefinite validity, and it is unclear whether they are still in use.

The letter emphasized the persistence of a regulatory regime that prioritizes the interests of companies dominating the market, affecting human rights, public health, and ecosystems, weakening regulatory agencies' ability to protect public interest against the harmful effects of agrochemicals. The organizations also pointed out the need to advise communities on the consequences of allowing the use of PAPs in land rental contracts and support communal assemblies in updating their regulations and working with municipalities to promote agroecological policies free of agrochemicals and GMOs.

Rocío Romero, Coordinator of the Latin American Agroecological Movement (Maela) in Mesoamerica, stated that support for agroecology should continue and deepen with an integrated rural policy to improve soil fertility, manage pests and diseases agroecologically, and care for and efficiently use water. “We must recognize the innovation capacity and accumulated experience of peasant and indigenous organizations, organic and agroecological agriculture, and create spaces for their participation,” she said.