Pesticides and food sovereignty: (dis)connections and challenges for agrarian movements

Agriculture has become increasingly dependent on pesticide use, with significant growth over the past three decades. While food sovereignty and agroecology have strengthened during the same period, the pesticide complex has expanded and deepened its reach. Drawing on research in China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Bolivia, we analyze the structural drivers behind pesticide adoption, the challenges faced by farmers, the tensions between pesticide use and socioecological health impacts in rural communities, and the strategies mobilized by anti-pesticide movements. This paper intends to open a political research agenda for rethinking food sovereignty in the context of chemically dependent agriculture.