Pesticide-related risks embodied in global soybean trade

Jiayu Wang, Xinyi Geng, Peng Wang, Jingcheng Yang, Yi Yang, Faith Ka Shun Chan, Hing Kai Chan, Matthew F. Johnson, Xiaojie Liu, Yong-Guan Zhu, Wei-Qiang Chen

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Pesticides may help safeguard food security but endanger the local ecosystem and farmer health. The globalization of the food trade is masking such impacts by separating production from consumption, and its effects on pesticide use and their related risks remain unclear. Here, we provide a map of the environmental and health risks associated with pesticide footprints along the soybean trade across 197 countries. We find that approximately 64% of soybeans were traded globally, embodying ∼55% of environmental-health risks linked to ∼108 kt of pesticide use. Notably, trade soybean pesticide footprints and their associated environmental-health risks are concentrated in a few hotspot nations, including the USA, Brazil, and Argentina. About 30 kt of future increase in soybean pesticide use and ∼6% of their related environmental-health risks can be offset by reducing 80% of soybean traded from high-pesticide-use-intensity nations to lower ones. Our results highlight the necessity of rethinking the role of agricultural trade in global pesticide management.
Original languageEnglish
JournalCell Reports Sustainability
Volume1
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Mar 2024

Keywords

  • soybean trade
  • pesticide footprint
  • pesticide risk management

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