Comparing Pesticide Regulations: What can Belgium (EU) and Washington State (US) Learn from One Another?

Abstract

On a global scale, pesticide use has almost doubled since 1990, with the world market expected to reach $130 billion by the end of 2023. With a rapidly growing world population, the use of pesticides, also called plant protection products (PPP), has played an important role in increasing crop yields to ensure adequate food availability. In the early 1960s, growing concern and awareness about the potential for PPP to non-specifically affect the surrounding ecosystem led to a growing field of resistance. Governmental and intergovernmental bodies have since placed sustainable agricultural practices at the top of their agendas, leading to the use of PPP becoming an increasingly controversial topic of discussion. This policy analysis broadly describes PPP regulation systems in the US and the EU by providing historic accounts of key policy developments of PPP use and their regulations. A direct comparison between regulatory systems for PPP in the US and in the EU is then explored. Washington State and Belgium were chosen as case studies in order to provide a more detailed look into the complexities of such systems and allow for a comparative approach to examine the opportunities and challenges for policy changes. Additionally, suggestions as to what the EU and the US entities can learn from one another to improve the respective PPP regulation systems are investigated. Finally, the analysis explores the potential of strengthening transatlantic cooperation through the establishment of an intergovernmental framework that deals with collection of scientific evidence on PPP and their use. As a result, this analysis acts as a tool for policymakers to better comprehend the different approaches to PPP regulation in the US and the EU as the need to feed the growing world population becomes more urgent, all while safeguarding human and ecosystem health through well-informed policies on PPP use.