In a landmark moment for agricultural reform and environmental justice, the National Department of Agriculture last week hosted the first-ever Colloquium on Pesticide Policy Framework. The event brought together government departments, farmer associations, scientists, civil society, industry, labour, farmworkers, and human rights organisations in an unprecedented dialogue on pesticide policy reform.
Modernising Outdated Laws
The colloquium marks a serious effort to modernise South Africa’s pesticide governance, particularly the outdated Farm Feeds, Fertilizer, and Agrochemical Remedies Act 36 of 1947. It aims to move toward a unified, science-based, and socially accountable system. Central to this is implementing the 2010 Pesticide Management Policy, which has remained dormant for 15 years, and adopting a One Health approach—integrating human, animal, plant, and environmental health in pesticide risk assessments.
“For the first time in history, civil society was not merely in the room, but at the table,” said Anna Shevel, coordinator of UnPoison.
Civil society and rights groups such as Women on Farms and the Human Rights Commission joined the discussions, alongside academics, medical experts, and other specialists.
Broad Representation from Industry and Government
Industry and farming groups including CropLife, the South African Bioproduct Organisation (SABO), GrainSA, Hortgro, and the Citrus Growers Association also participated. They were joined by the Departments of Agriculture, Health, Environment, and Labour, highlighting the need for interdepartmental coordination to address overlapping mandates and legislative gaps.
Clear Commitments from Government
The Deputy Director-General of Agriculture, Dipepeneneng Serage, closed the colloquium with firm commitments:
- Public access to the national pesticide registration database within two weeks.
- Revival of an interdepartmental committee to strengthen governance.
- Formal adoption of the One Health framework.
- Expanded capacity in the registration office, including skills for evaluating biological products.
- Bans on pesticides already prohibited internationally.
- Development of sustainable financing for the registration office.
- Greater transparency and inclusion of farmworkers and civil society in consultations.
For decades, the Department has faced criticism for bureaucratic inertia and regulatory capture. But Professor Leslie London of UCT welcomed the change: “The transparency, willingness to acknowledge past mistakes and intent to reorganise give us hope for meaningful change.”
The colloquium followed years of campaigning and crises, including Women on Farms’ fight against EU pesticide double standards, UnPoison’s advocacy for reform, the 2021 UPL chemical disaster, the UN’s 2023 report on toxics, the 2024 Naledi child pesticide deaths, and mounting global pressure to ban hazardous chemicals. The EU’s Green Deal, with stricter residue limits, added urgency.
Future-Proofing Agriculture
Shevel stressed that reform is not about dismantling agriculture but future-proofing it: “Our shared commitment is to a win-win-win path forward, where agriculture flourishes, communities are protected, and ecosystems are restored.”
The replacement of a “prehistoric” Act from the 1940s, she concluded, marks not only a turning point in pesticide policy but also in democratic participation and government accountability.