From November 4 to 8, 2024, in San José, Costa Rica, FAO organized a regional workshop to address the pressing challenges of pesticide registration in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Over 30 participants from five countries: Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Panama and Paraguay attended the event. The principal aim of the workshop was to enhance technical capacity and foster regional collaboration in pesticide management. 

Costa Rica’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Víctor Carvajal Porras, opened the workshop with a warm welcome. He highlighted the event's significance in upgrading the pesticide management system in Costa Rica and the region to support sustainable development. Mr Carvajal Porras emphasized the dual role of pesticides in ensuring food security and underscored the need for strong registration systems to manage associated risks effectively.

Following the minister's remarks, Mr. Baogen Gu, leader of FAO’s Pest and Pesticide Management team, stressed the importance of effective pesticide registration in fostering sustainable agriculture and protecting public health. “Pesticide registration is not just a regulatory necessity; it is the foundation for protecting our ecosystems and communities,” he stated.

Key topics and interactive learning

The workshop delved into the FAO Toolkit for Pesticide Registration, allowing participants to familiarize with strategies to improve pesticide registration processes, evaluate health and environmental risks and implement mitigation measures. Sessions covered the principles of assessing health and environmental impacts, data requirements, testing guidelines and methods for determining equivalence and evaluating pesticide efficacy. Experts from the different countries shared their experiences, enriching the discussions with practical insights.

To address the actual challenges of pesticide registration processes in Costa Rica and in the region, the workshop focused on a generic pesticide registration scheme, equivalence determination, data protection and efficacy evaluation of pesticides. Professional advice on a large number of regulatory and technical issues pertaining to pesticide registration was provided to guide participants on how to deal with challenges properly.

Spotlight on the Rotterdam Convention

The workshop dedicated significant attention to the Rotterdam Convention, a multilateral environmental agreement designed to promote shared responsibility and informed decision-making regarding hazardous chemicals under international trade. Mr. Mario Yarto, representing the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, underscored the support provided through the Convention’s technical assistance plan to assist Parties in effectively implementing the Convention. Mr Carles Escriva, from Germany’s Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, guided participants on how the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure is implemented in the European Union, and the way it empowers countries to control the import of chemicals listed in Annex III of the Convention. By ensuring compliance from exporting countries, this mechanism supports safer chemical trade and enhances transparency.

Building a regional network and next steps

Participants actively discussed establishing a regional network to improve information sharing and collaboration on pesticide management. This initiative highlighted the commitment of the countries to address pesticide-related challenges together. Feedback from attendees showcased the workshop’s success. A representative from Chile described it as “the most informative and fruitful workshop we’ve attended” and expressed a desire for their entire pesticide registration team to join future sessions.

In her closing remarks, Ms. Ana Posas Guevara, from the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, expressed her hope that participants would apply the knowledge gained during the workshop to strengthen pesticide management practices in their countries. She emphasized the importance of ongoing capacity-building efforts in the region and reaffirmed FAO regional office’s commitment to support future initiatives.

FAO is empowering the region to adopt safer agricultural practices and enhance protections for public health and the environment. This workshop marks a step forward for Latin America and the Caribbean, in the pursuit of reducing risks associated with the use of pesticides in agriculture.