In a landmark win for public health and the environment, countries across the world have struck a historic deal to eliminate chlorpyrifos, one of the planet’s most dangerous pesticides, under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The decision, hailed by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India as a “game-changing victory,” marks a major step toward a pesticide-free future, protecting farmers, consumers, children, and ecosystems from irreversible harm.
“The years of work of members and regional centres along with PAN international across globe with communities impacted and poisoned by chlorpyrifos got a promise of toxic free future from Stockholm Convention this week but the promise is blurred by few countries who added exemptions without review, for protecting profits of the companies and thus weakened science-based decision making at the global forum. We failed to protect the future for our children, we urge countries who care for people to stop all uses of highly hazardous pesticides like Chlorpyrifos and uphold listing in Stockholm Convention Annex A without any exemptions” said C Jayakumar, Chair of PAN International.
“We welcome the global consensus among parties to the Stockholm Convention to eliminate the deadly insecticide chlorpyrifos by listing in the Annex A with specific exceptions.” said Dileep Kumar, PAN India. “The world can no longer turn a blind eye to the overwhelming scientific evidence on chlorpyrifos. Its global elimination is a critical step toward safeguarding public health, environmental integrity, and the rights of future generations.”
Chlorpyrifos, a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide, has already been banned in over 44 countries, yet it remains in widespread use , posing serious threats to farmers, consumers, and biodiversity. PAN India has long advocated for its phase-out, highlighting viable non-chemical alternatives that can protect crops without harming people or ecosystems.
“However, the approach by a few parties requesting more exemptions despite having efficient and viable alternatives and bypassing the scientific assessment and process followed by the POP Review Committee is more than disappointing. We urge parties that have requested exemptions to start implementing non-chemical alternatives and agroecology-based farming practices to eliminate the use of chlorpyrifos as soon as possible. This will reduce the burden of this poison on the farming community, consumers, children, as well as the environment.” added A D Dileep Kumar from Geneva.
The global decision, taken at the ongoing Conferences of the Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs) in Geneva, will list chlorpyrifos in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention, requiring its elimination with specific exemptions.
The specific exemptions allow limited uses of chlorpyrifos despite its listing in Annex A, which requires elimination under the Stockholm Convention. The specific exemptions include 18 crop-pest complexes, control of leaf-cutting ants for agricultural use, control of locusts for agricultural use, control of ticks in cattle and wood preservation against borers and termites in building foundations.
“While welcoming the listing of Chlorpyrifos, there are concerns about other toxic, hazardous, forever chemicals, which are yet to be included in the agenda of BRS Conventions. We support a broad spectrum evaluation and speedening up to separating the highly hazardous chemicals to elimination. Survival of life, including biodiversity, is at stake. Also, national governments have to take up their own independent physico-chemical and ecotoxicological evaluation to propose such chemicals for elimination” said Dr. Donthi Narasimha Reddy, a public policy expert.
Along with the toxic pesticide Chlorpyrifos, the Stockholm Convention Conference of Parties (COP) agreed that the group of long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC-PFCAs) meet the convention criteria as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and added them to the list of globally banned substances.
As global momentum builds, PAN India urges policymakers to align national policies with international best practices and phase out chlorpyrifos.
PAN India’s advocacy at the Geneva summit is supported by its Consolidated List of Banned Pesticides and its latest Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) List, documenting 568 pesticide active ingredients banned by one or more countries — many still in use in the global south.
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Notes to Editors
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India, founded as an independent national non profit organisation in India that works in collaboration with Pesticide Action Network (PAN) International Community, sharing knowledge and expertise to eliminate the human and environmental hazards caused by pesticides. The organization is focusing to bring changes in the way chemical pesticides are used harming life and environment. It aims to help farmers and governments to reduce dependence on toxic chemicals and to increase the use of sustainable alternatives to chemical pest control based on scientific knowledge.
Links to technical briefings:
• Why India Needs to Ban Chlorpyrifos
• Non-Chemical Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos
• PAN International BRS COPs 2025 Advisory
For media inquiries, interviews, or more information, please contact:
Dileep Kumar
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India
Email: dileep@pan-india.org
Phone: 8137006352
