Trends in the use of agricultural pesticides and the environmental risk-reduction status in Japan - An evaluation of the last 15 years

This paper evaluates the trends in pesticide use with special emphasis on the state and progress of environmental toxic-risk-reduction initiatives taken in Japan. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) pesticide-use indicator was used to assess changes in the last 15 years (1985-2000). The total amount of active ingredients used in pesticides increased by 9% between 1985/87 and 1998/00. The change was mainly due to the increase in fungicide use (89%) and the decline in insecticide (7%) and herbicide (42%) use. The change in pesticides used was largely associated with the amount (kg/ha) used in paddy cultivation. The environmental toxicity of herbicides also decreased substantially. Larger numbers of active ingredients were used in pesticides in 1998/00 compared with 1985/87, but the newly added active ingredients are less toxic than those used previously.