The Mexican government has announced a ban on the use, production, commercialization, and importation of 35 pesticides as part of an effort to ensure safer and more sustainable agricultural practices.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said the measure follows a commitment made in March to prohibit substances that remain available in Mexico despite being restricted in several countries due to health and environmental risks. The decree involves the Ministry of Health (SS) through COFEPRIS, the Ministry of Economy (SE), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER).
Julio Berdegué, Minister of SADER, stated that the 35 substances are listed under international agreements such as the Basel, Stockholm, and Rotterdam Conventions. “The goal is to establish much stricter regulations because these are products that cannot be used as if they were aspirin. This effort is part of a broader strategy to achieve cleaner, more sustainable, and safer agriculture for both producers and consumers,” he said.
The banned pesticides include Aldicarb, used in citrus; Carbofuran, applied in citrus, and avocado; Endosulfan, used in corn, cotton, and fruit production; and DDT, prohibited in most countries since the 1970s but still produced and used in Mexico until now. Berdegué noted that the last comparable regulation, in 1991, covered only 21 active ingredients. Additional lists of prohibited pesticides are expected in 2026 and 2027.
FAO welcomed the decree, saying, “We commend President Claudia Sheinbaum and Minister Julio Berdegué for the decree banning 35 high-risk pesticides. It has been 34 years since Mexico adopted a measure of this scale. This is a key step toward sustainable and safe agriculture.”
The Pesticide Action Network and Alternatives in Mexico (RAPAM), however, criticized the decision, calling it limited. The organization pointed out that while older pesticides were removed, more than 200 products banned elsewhere remain available, including ethyl chlorpyrifos. RAPAM also highlighted the ongoing use of fipronil and neonicotinoids, linked to bee mortality, as well as paraquat, an herbicide associated with Parkinson’s disease and prohibited in 72 countries.
Glyphosate remains another concern. Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador attempted to ban it by executive order, but the decision was overturned after a dispute with the United States under the USMCA trade agreement.
RAPAM stated that delays in tackling hazardous pesticides are tied to negotiations between SADER and chemical industry groups. The organization urged Berdegué to involve farming and rural organizations in drafting future measures.
The banned list includes: 2,4-DB, Alachlor, Aldicarb, Azafenidine, Azinphos-methyl, Azocyclotin, Bioresmethrin, Bromuconazole, Captafol, Carbofuran, Carbosulfan, Chlordane, Chlorpyrifos-methyl, DDT, Diclofop-methyl, Dinocap, Dinoseb, Disulfoton, Edifenphos, Endosulfan, Fenarimol, Fenitrothion, Fenthion, Fentoate, Flusilazole, Phosfamidon, Hexachlorocyclohexane, Hexaflumuron, Lindane, Methidathion, Fenbutatin oxide, Parathion-ethyl, Quinalphos, Resmethrin, and Trichlorfon.
Source: Mexico Business News