Pesticide Atlas
In the light of the high competitiveness witnessed in the vegetable and fruit markets both regionally and locally, reliance on agricultural pesticides that are globally banned, such as paraquat and methomyl, has become prevalent among farmers in Jordan. Those farmers resort to using banned pesticides to quickly eliminate crop pests and achieve financial profits, disregarding human health and the environment.
Despite international bans, hazardous pesticides like paraquat and methomyl are illegally flooding Jordanian markets. Sold under false trade names, these hazardous chemicals infiltrate agricultural supply stores across the kingdom.
Their continued use raises serious questions about enforcement and accountability among authorities. Meanwhile, global double standards in pesticide trade further complicate the fight against these harmful substances.
Banned pesticides, which are prohibited from trade and use internationally, find their way into Jordanian markets, invading agricultural supply stores, particularly those located in areas such as South, North, and Central Shouneh. The sale of these pesticides is not limited to stores in South Shouneh, Central Shouneh, and Deir Alla in Balqa Governorate, North Shouneh in Irbid Governorate, and Rama in the capital city of Amman. It extends to numerous other stores specializing in agricultural pesticides across the kingdom. Anyone working in the agricultural sector, or even those who own private farms, can easily purchase them from these stores. Even though these pesticides pose significant risks to human health and the environment—causing diseases like cancer, genetic mutations, and birth defects. At the top of these banned substances is the pesticide paraquat, which is sold under fake trade names and is illegally imported from a neighboring Gulf country and China.
Since 2013, Jordan’s lists of banned pesticides have contained paraquat due to its serious delayed effects upon absorption, which can be fatal to humans. According to warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO), it can lead to acute poisoning, respiratory difficulties, and damage to the nervous system and kidneys. Due to its high effectiveness in killing weeds quickly and upon contact, farmers prefer to buy the non-selective herbicide paraquat. Paraquat ranges in price from 25 JODs ($35.27) to 40 JODs ($56.43) for a five-liter container.
It is not just paraquat that is available on store shelves; there are also other pesticides, such as methomyl, that have not been approved for sale by the Ministry of Agriculture. Methomyl is marketed under various trade names, including Lannate.
The primary reason for the spread of these pesticides, which enter the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan illegally through land border crossings, is the inadequate regulation by relevant authorities over agricultural supply stores throughout the kingdom’s governorates. This version maintains the original meaning while improving clarity and coherence.
Perhaps farmers' preference for using these pesticides primarily stems from their desire to achieve financial profits and to ripen their diverse crops within a very short period, given the intense competition in the vegetable and fruit market in the kingdom. The paradox lies in the fact that despite these pesticides being internationally banned. International reports have pointed out the 'double standards' in dealing with banned pesticides and active substances in terms of their trade, use, and distribution, including one published by the Public Eye organization in November 2023. The report revealed that in 2018, European Union countries approved the export of more than 81,000 tons of pesticides containing 41 hazardous chemicals, which are banned for use by their own farmers, to low- and middle-income countries such as Brazil, Ukraine, Morocco, and Mexico.
This double standard is not limited to exports alone; the lists of the European Union, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Rotterdam Convention ban several active substances and agricultural pesticides, none of which are included on Jordan's list. This is because the Ministry of Agriculture relies solely on official communications directed to it from those entities with the names of the banned active substances.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan has banned about 71 active substances. While the Rotterdam Convention lists 55 banned chemicals, including paraquat, the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)—which partners with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—only includes 28 banned active substances in its list, such as methomyl.
Between the double standards and the lack of awareness among farmers about the harmful effects of pesticides, the responsibility among official entities remains unclear. For instance, the Ministry of Environment places full responsibility for the permission or prohibition of the trade and use of agricultural pesticides on the Ministry of Agriculture, considering it is “the competent authority” in this field.
Through their membership in the Pesticide Registration Committee, which was previously formed by the Ministry of Agriculture and in accordance with its law, the role of each entity is framed. This committee includes representatives from the Ministries of Health (MOH) and Environment (MOE), the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), the Royal Scientific Society (RSS), public Jordanian universities, the Association of Agricultural Materials Traders and Producers (AMATPA), the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI), the National Center for Agricultural Research (NARC), the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA), the Plant Wealth Laboratories, the Head of the Pesticide Registration and Manufacturing and Import Control Division, and the Head of the Pesticides Department.
No complaints, violations, or seizures of internationally banned active substances and agricultural pesticides being traded in local markets have been reported or recorded by the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, despite the presence of this committee, specifically since 2018. There are 167 licensed stores across the kingdom that sell agricultural pesticides. These stores are subject to periodic inspections by the Ministry of Agriculture's inspection teams to ensure that the products offered for sale meet the required standards
According to its laws and in cooperation with all border centers, the Ministry of Agriculture prohibits the entry of any active substances except through licensed companies. However, there have been instances where five-liter or ten-liter containers of pesticides were seized with travelers coming from outside the kingdom. There is a procedure in place for the disposal of seized pesticides, which are transported to the Swaqa hazardous waste landfill in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.
Regarding the substances imported by companies, the procedures before allowing their entry into Jordan include sampling by the Ministry of Agriculture's teams to verify their compliance with the requirements. The registration of pesticides in Jordan relies on international references that employ advanced registration systems, such as those used by the European Union and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These pesticides must meet specific global standards and be subject to toxicity studies to prove their safety. This means that the cancellation or approval of any active substance for trade and use is directly linked to what is issued by these advanced, internationally recognized systems.
The number of active pesticides registered with the Ministry of Agriculture (both prohibited and non-prohibited) is about 243 substances, categorized under 2205 trade names. Across the kingdom, there are 23 factories registered and licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture to produce pesticides, and 147 companies are authorized to import these substances from outside Jordan, according to ministry statistics. However, some local factories continue to produce pesticides under various trade names that contain active substances with toxicity and danger levels similar to those that are internationally banned and prohibited. Yet, they are sold regularly by agricultural supply stores without any governmental prohibition.
To ensure that the active substances used by local factories comply with international standards and those adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture, a device is used to test these substances. This is a new step that has been incorporated into the monitoring process carried out by their teams. The licensing process for factories is subject to the instructions for registering pesticides and their manufacturing, preparation, import, trade, and distribution for the year 2023. One of its clauses requires that the factory meets 21 good manufacturing requirements, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture.