Highly Hazardous Pesticide Phase-Out for US Cotton Growers: Alternatives, Risks, and Opportunities

Abstract

As part of its focus on making cotton production better for the environment and the people who produce it, Better Cotton is committed to reducing the hazardous impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment. Better Cotton supports farmers to prioritizeIPM practices, phase out Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), and minimize the negative impacts of pesticides that continue to be used. We reviewed seven of the most acutely toxic substances that have been used by Better Cotton growers in the US to understand risks to human health and the environment, chemical and cultural alternatives, mitigation measures, and tradeoffs and limitations. The active ingredients are abamectin, aldicarb, bifenthrin, dicrotophos, lambda-cyhalothrin, oxamyl, and phorate. The information reviewed includes pesticide use reports from California and Arizona, interviews with key regional experts, EPA risk assessment documents, the IPM Institute’s Pesticide Risk Tool, and other online resources. HHPs are defined by the World Health Organization and UN Food and Agriculture Organization; Better Cotton reviews and revises its list annually to reflect updates to product information.