Exposure to pesticide substances has been linked to neurological diseases, certain forms of cancer and reduced IQ in children. The European Union is seeking to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030.
Today, only one supermarket chain in Cyprus carries out its own strict monitoring programme for pesticide residues in the products it sells to consumers and maintains a transparent policy on these analyses, as it publishes the results. It does so voluntarily, without being required by law. Within this framework, it informs producers that it will not accept products exceeding specific pesticide limits. The Health Services of the Ministry of Health also carry out periodic inspections and take action if excessive residues are detected.
Participants attending a conference in Nicosia on Thursday, 19 February, were informed of these issues by Menelaos Stavrinides, associate professor at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). The conference was jointly organised by the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health (CUT) and the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe.
Mr Stavrinides stressed that the adoption of strict and transparent policies by companies could serve as a significant incentive to reduce pesticide use among Cypriot farmers, who in recent years have held a negative distinction in this practice, according to Eurostat research. This pattern operates to the detriment of both human health and the environment.
Since 2022, Cyprus has ranked among the top EU member states in pesticide sales, with approximately nine kilograms per hectare. In recent years, studies have also placed Cyprus among the leading European countries for pesticide residue levels in fruit and vegetables above the maximum residue limit (MRL), with close to 10% of products containing residues beyond the permitted thresholds.
Prescription of pesticides
A second pillar for sustainable agriculture is accountability in pesticide use. Speaking to Politis, Dr Stavrinides said that the prevailing model in Cyprus allows the average farmer to purchase pesticides directly from sales points without the involvement of a licensed agronomist. Such a professional could advise whether their use is actually necessary, in what quantities, and whether alternative sustainable agricultural practices are available.
He emphasised the need for transparent, responsible and evidence-based prescriptions from licensed agronomists. At the same time, he described the absence of a national pesticide use registry at the level of agricultural holdings, linked to sales points, as a serious gap.
“The written prescription of pesticides would allow meaningful monitoring of sales, significantly reducing unnecessary applications, which primarily harm farmers economically and additionally have negative effects on the environment and public health,” he noted.
An entrenched culture
For his part, Konstantinos Makris, professor at the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health at CUT, told Politis that pesticide use in Cyprus represents an entrenched culture that has developed within the agricultural community over decades.
“It is very difficult to change this culture among farmers. With all the pressure they already face due to water cuts, if you also raise pesticide issues they will react. Therefore, the state must adopt a strategic and gradual transition to help farmers move towards integrated farming systems, in line with EU policy,” he said.
According to Dr Makris, this does not mean that farmers will stop using pesticides entirely, but that they must use them sparingly and carefully. “At the same time, the state should help ensure some level of income for them, because there may initially be economic losses due to reduced production,” he added.
Links to cancer
Dr Stavrinides explained that “plant protection products are chemical substances used to protect cultivated plants from insects, fungi and other organisms. Their use since the 1940s has led to a dramatic increase in agricultural production.
“Unfortunately, however, their use causes serious impacts on the environment and human health. Human exposure to these substances has been linked to neurological diseases, various forms of cancer and reduced IQ in children. Although workers in the agricultural sector face the highest exposure, pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables represent an important pathway of exposure for all consumers.”
Regenerative agriculture
As a third way of addressing the issue, Dr Stavrinides presented the importance of educating Cypriot farmers. This includes training in organic agriculture, regenerative agriculture and precision agriculture using smart technologies.
Organic agriculture shows encouraging signs, as its adoption in Cyprus continues to grow each year. According to European studies cited at the conference, organic farming on the island increased from around 3% in 2012 to approximately 9% in 2023.
At the same time, “beneficial” insects and smart technologies such as satellites, robots, smart traps and intelligent spraying systems can also be utilised.
Another important pillar highlighted during the conference is public awareness about pesticide issues and consumer demand for products with residue levels that do not exceed permitted limits.
Reasons for excessive residues
According to Dr Stavrinides, the presence of pesticide residues above permitted limits is mainly due to incorrect practices, including:
- violation of the safety interval, meaning the required period between the last spraying and harvest as specified on the pesticide label,
- spraying at a higher dose than indicated on the label, and
- spraying with pesticides that are not approved for use on a specific crop.
“Taking measures to address the issue is imperative. That is why one of the main objectives of the EU’s ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy is to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030. Undoubtedly this is an ambitious goal, but it is not impossible,” he concluded.
Mercosur agreement and the import of harmful products
At present, two policies promoted by the European Commission are, according to critics, linked to a possible relaxation of the previously strict European framework banning harmful pesticides. Scientists and environmental organisations openly refer to a “Trojan horse” in the pursuit of economic gain.
The first issue concerns the trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur countries, the South American trade bloc, which is expected to be ratified and includes tariff reductions. Farmers strongly oppose the agreement, arguing that it will flood the market with cheaper alternatives and cause severe damage to their livelihoods.
The second concerns a package of measures proposed by the European Commission to simplify regulations on food and animal feed. The proposal seeks to abolish the requirement for the periodic renewal of most pesticide authorisations in the EU so that they are reviewed only when there are justified scientific reasons.
Brussels states that the reform could save around €1 billion in compliance costs and contribute to greater competitiveness for the European agricultural sector. Environmental organisations, however, strongly oppose the move, warning of a “decades-long setback” in food safety and environmental protection.
Threats against scientists
Concerns about the Mercosur agreement also focus on the potential import of harmful products from Latin America. The argument, supported by agricultural organisations in Cyprus, centres on the use of pesticides currently banned in the EU because they are harmful to human health and the environment.
“Those banned substances are also cheaper than European alternatives and more effective at eliminating crop pests. However, they are extremely dangerous to human health,” Dr Makris said.
At the same time, he relayed issues raised by Latin American colleagues as coordinator of a global scientific network examining the effects of pesticides on human health, the Special Interest Group on Pesticides and Health under the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISSE).
He noted that scientists in Latin America are studying the impact of these harmful pesticides on human health in countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica, while strong protests are emerging against what has been described as “chemical colonialism”. As he explained, European countries produce these banned pesticides, which they do not sell within Europe because they are prohibited, but export to and sell in those countries.
Within these efforts to raise awareness, serious obstacles have emerged for scientists in Latin America who attempt to demonstrate through research how harmful these pesticides are to both human health and the environment.
Dr Makris recounted the testimony of a colleague, a professor in São Paulo, Brazil. “He had a colleague who, after conducting such a study, received serious threats to her life. As a result, she emigrated to Europe. Today she lives in France,” he said.