Bilateral Relations on Pesticides

The Issue of Pesticides in the Agricultural Policy Dialogue Brazil-Germany (APD)

Abstract

This article addresses how the issue of pesticides is tackled within the Agricultural Policy Dialogue Brazil-Germany (APD) with the participation of diverse stakeholders. The background of the study lies in the bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as the existing national tensions regarding the use and trade of pesticides. The qualitative, empirical assessment of the issue within the context of the APD involved analyzing publicly available written publications and video formats published by the APD between 2021 and 2024. Additionally, the authors and speakers were examined regarding the balanced participation of diverse interest groups. The findings show that the issue of pesticides has not been explicitly and comprehensively addressed in the APD so far but has only been touched upon, especially in the context of the bioeconomy, where biopesticides were presented as alternatives. However, a deeper engagement with the ecological and health impacts of pesticide use did not take place. The analysis suggests that greater transparency in topic selection and more targeted inclusion of various stakeholders could ensure a more balanced debate. Due to the high relevance as well as environmental and societal controversy surrounding pesticides, it is recommended that the APD integrates this topic more prominently into the dialogue. Besides that, concrete consequences and results of the dialogue could be better communicated to enhance legitimacy and trust. Future research can observe the further development of the APD and specifically investigate whether the new focal areas of agroecology and organic farming will lead to a deeper engagement with the pesticide issue.