Agrochemicals for pest control in Brazil: critical analysis of the use of the term agrotóxico as a tool for risk communication

• Autor(a) principal: Rembischevski, Peter
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Caldas, Eloisa Dutra
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Vigilância Sanitária em Debate
• Texto Completo: https://visaemdebate.incqs.fiocruz.br/index.php/visaemdebate/article/view/1195
• topic: Agrochemicals; Legislation; Communication; Risk; Agroquímicos; Legislação; Comunicação; Risco

Due to their potential to impact human health and the environment, agrochemicals used for pest control are among the most controversial and regulated substances worldwide. In Brazil, the controversy starts with the name given to these products, including the one stated in the Law n. 7802/89 – agrotóxicos, only adopted in the country. This paper covers the historical context that led to the inclusion of this term in the Law, and shows data indicating that this action did not affect the safety practices adopted by the farmers and the number of intoxications, nor affected the commercialization of these products, which were the primary goals of the governmental authorities. Furthermore, the paper discusses other terms used in the world, considering the key factors that could affect the risks and the use of these products. The authors concluded that the term agrotóxico does not contain the necessary technical or semantic attributes to be adopted in a legal text, and that neologisms to send positive or negative messages are not appropriate for communicating the risks posed by these products to the general population and farmers, in a honest, responsible and technically supported way.