Abstract
Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) for pesticides are used in the regulation of imports of agri-food products. Pesticide use is essentially universal in conventional agricultural production globally. The Codex establishes MRLs for various pesticides. In the 1990s there was de facto harmonization of MRLs based on Codex or, absent an international standard, importer acceptance of the exporter’s MRL. Since that time many countries have been establishing nationally based MRLs, leading to asynchronous regulations that act as trade barriers. This trend is particularly disturbing given the important role international trade in agri-food products is expected to play in meeting the food security challenges associated with feeding a global population predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050. This article explores the reasons for the increasing divergence in MRLs and its trade impacts, outlines the food security concerns arising from this increasing non-tariff barrier and examines multilateral, regional and national efforts to foster MRL harmonization and counter the trend to nationally based MRLs.
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