Costa Rica's prohibitions and restrictions on agricultural pesticides use and marketing

Abstract

Costa Rica’s prohibitions and restrictions on agricultural pesticides use and marketing. Since the year 2000, an intensive process of change in terms of restriction and prohibition on pesticide marketing began in Central America, and particularly in Costa Rica. In addition to the prohibitions and restrictions that were already enforced, during 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2015 several government decrees conditioned the sale of all red label products (categories 1A and 1B), as well as other ingredients, to a prescription signed by a professional member of the National Association of Costa Rica (CIAgro), which guarantees application the of these products for authorized uses only, because of their dangerousness and possible effects on human health. In order to understand how to properly issue the technical and security indications for the appropriate use of restricted products, this paper describes in detail the process of emission and registation of prescriptions, as stipulated in the Executive Decree Nº. 33495-MAG-SMINA- MEIC (Rules on Registration, Use and Control of Synthetic Formulated Pesticides, Active Ingredient Technical Grade, Coadyuvants and Related Substances of Agricultural Use) and other restrictions applying