Pesticide sales reached an all-time high in 2021, passing over the 5 million kilograms of active ingredient mark. Despite some progress, the most recent assessment of pesticide sales shows that additional efforts will have to be made to achieve the objectives set by the government.
Notably, it is in urban areas where the increase has been the greatest in proportion, according to these new data published by Quebec. “These sales more than doubled compared to 2019,” notes the balance sheet, because of the dandelion struggle. The increase is indeed attributable to corn gluten meal, a biopesticide whose sales have increased fivefold since 2019.
However, it is the agricultural environment that accounts for the largest share of the total assessment (72%), as it does every year. In agriculture, the rise in glyphosate brought sales back to the average level of the last five years. This herbicide alone accounts for 48% of sales. The total for this sector was 3.6 million kilograms in 2021, which is the average of the previous five years.
Discreetly published earlier this week and without a press release from the Ministry of the Environment, this document nevertheless contains some glimmers of hope. Since 2018 in the province, five active ingredients cannot be used unless they have been “prescribed” or justified by an agronomist. Taken together, these ingredients have seen their sales decline by almost 60% since then, demonstrating the effect of these prescriptions and justifications.
Neonicotinoids, accused of being “bee killers”, are used less and less to coat seeds, a practice that has been shown to be of little use. “It is estimated that less than 0.5% of the areas would be sown with maize coated with neonicotinoids, compared to 100% in 2015”, is it written in the balance sheet.
Sales of atrazine, a herbicide used in the cultivation of corn, “thus present an overall reduction of 90% since the implementation” of this system. The sale of atrazine will be banned as of December 2022, following a decision by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
Towards government goals?
The 2021 report in Quebec also pays attention to potential replacement products for these pesticides that are now less accessible. A recent draft regulation also has the potential to extend agronomic prescriptions to the diamide family. These insecticides have partially replaced neonicotinoids for seed coating, but they have significant impacts on aquatic fauna.
The agricultural sector has undertaken considerable efforts in recent years to reduce its dependence on the use of pesticides, in particular through the payment of agro-environmental practices. An envelope of $85 million was announced in February by Minister André Lamontagne, among other things to reward agricultural producers who reduce their use of pesticides.
Beyond the quantities, the health risk index fell by 16%, but that for the environment increased by 12% compared to the reference period used (2006-2008). Toxicity varies according to the products used: in other words, the same quantity of herbicide or insecticide does not pose the same danger and this indicator must therefore be calculated separately.
The target for 2030, indicated in the Sustainable Agriculture Plan, was rather to reduce the risk of these two indicators in agriculture by 40%.
As for the quantity sold, the very ambitious target of 2.5 million kilograms applies only to agricultural production, which is still 1.1 million kilograms below the current bar.
The quantities listed include conventional (or “synthetic”) pesticides and biopesticides. Even if they come from natural sources, they are not without risk for the balance of ecosystems and biodiversity.
Among all uses in urban areas, it is the domestic use of pesticides for gardening that accounts for the largest share of sales, followed by the maintenance of green spaces and golf courses. Quebec intends to ban more than 60 pesticides in urban areas, but not glyphosate.