Harmonized risk indicators: A matric study of potential risks for the pesticide business in the EU-27

This study aimed to analyze the Harmonized Risk Indicator to study the potential risks for the pesticide business in the .This study also focused on total pesticide sales to observe the progress of pesticide business in the EU-27 toward pesticide risk reduction.Data for pesticide sales for the EU-27 was obtained from the Eurostat database from 2011 to 2021.Data was analyzed for trends and regression using Microsoft Excel.The finding revealed that the pesticide market in EU-27 has grown significantly in previous years, and the trend has recently declined.Overall, pesticide sales increased in 2011 in EU-27 and decreased between 2012 and 2103.Sales increased significantly in 2014, 2016, and 2018.However, in 2019, sales saw a drastic decline; that could be a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.Again, a rise in sales from 2020 to 2021 was observed, but in 2022, a remarkable decline was observed in the pesticide business in EU-27.This study also discussed the risk reduction index based on the type of pesticide used, and analysis of the harmonized risk indicator showed that EU-27 has been very concerned with reducing the risk to human health and the environment from pesticides since 2011 and is using low-risk active substances and microorganisms to combat pests instead of active and toxic chemicals.It was concluded that the EU-27 pesticide business fluctuated significantly by 2022, and rising food production demands and sustainable agricultural practices drove the risk reduction index.