Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed a decree establishing the National Agrochemical Reduction Program (Pronara).

According to the text published in the Federal Gazette (DOU), among the objectives of Pronara is the gradual and continuous reduction of the use of agrochemicals, especially those ″highly hazardous to the environment and extremely toxic to health.″

Further, the Brazilian government noted, the initiative aims to ″bring together research, information, residue monitoring, as well as technical assistance, rural extensions, and biological inputs, in order to reduce the use of agrochemicals and increase the sustainable production of healthy food by family farmers.″

The program also seeks to expand and strengthen the production, marketing, access, and use of biological inputs. In addition, it intends to promote the ″integration of control, inspection, and monitoring″ of agrochemicals by uniting various federal, state, and municipal sectors.

Pronara additionally stipulated to ″promote social oversight in health surveillance, access to information, and the dissemination of knowledge about the risks of agrochemicals to health and the environment.″

Lastly, the decree proposes fiscal and financial measures to encourage the reduction of agrochemical use. Another goal is to ″improve the monitoring of agrochemical residues in environmental matrixes, in food, and in drinking water, ensuring full disclosure of results.″

The Brazilian government noted that Pronara seeks to contribute to fulfilling Brazil’s obligations and commitments under international agreements and treaties that address the elimination of hazardous chemicals and agrochemicals and the adoption of safer alternatives for human health and the environment.

Pronara was the subject of disagreement and negotiation between two Brazilian ministries over the past year: On one side, the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) advocated for stricter restrictions on agrochemicals, responding to activists and social movements opposed to agribusiness.

On the other side was the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), which works to preserve scientific knowledge and the analysis of agrochemicals through technical criteria to ensure productivity and food security.

The creation of Pronara is a development of the National Agroecology and Organic Production Plan (Planapo), created by the Brazilian government in 2012. The following year, a Working Group on agrochemicals was formed within the National Commission on Agroecology and Organic Production (Cnapo) to consolidate proposals from social movements and structure the program.

The strategy to reduce agrochemicals in Brazilian agriculture was structured through six pillars: Regulation, Inspection, Economic Incentives, Sustainable Alternatives, Information, and Training.

Pronara was approved by Cnapo in 2016, but was paralyzed at the federal level until now. The issue returned to the agenda last year, following inter-ministerial coordination and in response to demands from Brazilian social movements.

According to Acting Minister of the General Secretariat Kelli Mafort, who attended the signing ceremony, the launch of the program is a ″historic milestone in the struggle to reduce agrochemicals.″

″It is a struggle of at least a decade, the struggle of many organizations, social movements, farmers, our National Commission on Agroecology and Organic Production, and the campaign to reduce agrochemicals. This is a very important day—a day to celebrate,″ said Mafort.

Additionally, Mafort stressed that the next step is to work for the implementation of the program’s directives. ″We, at the federal government, especially the General Secretariat under the leadership of Minister Márcio Macêdo, have the task of coordinating actions to address issues related to Pronara.″