Food security, food safety and pesticides: China and the EU compared

To control pests that may damage crops during production, storage or transportation, chemical pesticides are usually used. On the one hand, the use of pesticides can help to reduce yield losses caused by pests, pathogens, and weeds and thereby help feed the world’s population; on the other hand, such agricultural practices can profoundly affect limited natural resources. Pollution of soil, water and air, fragmentation of habitats and loss of wildlife are often the result of unsustainable farming practices and inappropriate use of land. Furthermore, the use of pesticides has direct consequences on the health of workers handling pesticides and consumers. In this framework, the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices and in particular, pesticide reduction could play a fundamental role in improving the quality of life. Given the potential harm to human health and the environment, the regulation of pesticides in agriculture has been critical and controversial and as a result, different countries have different pesticide regulations. The global agrochemical market is an oligopolistic market dominated by a few big international players, while an atomistic market characterises the agricultural sector as well as that of consumers. The EU and China play key roles in this context, where the former is the world’s largest agri-food exporter and the latter is one of the main producers and exporters of pesticides. Starting from these premises, the main objective of this Chapter is to explore the relationship between food security and food safety, while pointing out the role played in this relationship by pesticides, focusing on the case studies of the EU and China. To this purpose, the Chapter outlines the international framework on pesticides and the legal framework in the EU and China, analyzes pesticide markets, and considers the concerns related to their use. The overview of the situation in the EU and China allows us to identify challenges and opportunities for future developments in terms of food security and safety and food trade relationships between Europe and China. Tension and mutual disputes have occurred in the past due to increasing risks for consumers and workers handling pesticides, food scandals and difficulties in the mutual recognition of food quality certification schemes, which call for sustainable production methods.