China’s pesticide management is confronting new circumstances and challenges.

On December 16, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs convened a national conference on pesticide management in Beijing to analyze and summarize the new circumstances and challenges confronting China’s pesticide regulatory framework.

At the meeting, Vice Minister Zhang Taolin of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs delivered an important address. He emphasized that, in the new context, effectively managing pesticide use requires, first, a thorough understanding of the critical importance and unique role of pesticides in the national economy; second, an in-depth analysis of the emerging circumstances and challenges facing China’s pesticide management, thereby strengthening both a sense of responsibility and a sense of urgency; and third, the adoption of innovative approaches, the clarification of specific goals and tasks, and the reinforcement of accountability to ensure the effective implementation of pesticide management.

Agriculture is the foundation of the national economy, and pesticides are an essential input for ensuring agricultural production, serving as a critical material underpinning the development of modern agriculture. Their role and status are thus highly prominent. Moreover, due to their unique position within the chemical industry chain, pesticides have become one of the key components of the national economy.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s socio-economic development has entered a new stage. The country’s industrial development has shifted from an emphasis on quantitative growth to a focus on high-quality development. This transformation has also imposed four new requirements on pesticide management: first, the concept of green development calls for a new approach to pesticide development; second, supply-side structural reform demands the optimization of the pesticide industry’s structure; third, the people’s aspiration for a better life necessitates stricter control of pesticide residues; and fourth, the “delegation, regulation, and service” reform places new demands on pesticide‑related administrative services.

On the other hand, the pesticide industry’s own development has also posed four new challenges to pesticide management: the large number of pesticide manufacturers and products presents fresh obstacles to the sector’s comprehensive transformation and upgrading; the proliferation of pesticide retail outlets creates new hurdles for robust oversight and regulation; the vast number of pesticide users necessitates more effective guidance on safe application; and the multifaceted nature of pesticide‑related tasks makes it increasingly difficult to fulfill responsibilities in a systematic and thorough manner.

In the face of new circumstances, new requirements, new issues, and new challenges, Vice Minister Zhang Taolin stated that, to achieve high-quality, green development and industrial transformation and upgrading, China’s pesticide sector must strive to accomplish four shifts: First, pesticide production must shift from quantity‑driven expansion to quality‑and‑efficiency‑oriented growth, with greater emphasis on enterprise transformation and upgrading and on enhancing corporate competitiveness; second, pesticide distribution must transition from product‑centric marketing to service‑oriented optimization, placing greater emphasis on the scientific and large‑scale development of the business environment; third, pesticide use must evolve from focusing solely on control efficacy to prioritizing both high efficiency and safety, with increased attention to reducing application rates while boosting effectiveness and to managing pesticide residues; and fourth, pesticide management must move from a reliance on administrative approval to comprehensive, end-to-end oversight, with stronger focus on ongoing and post‑event supervision and support.

Furthermore, in line with the requirements of the new development philosophy, the overarching goals for pesticide development and management are to achieve “four modernizations”: intensive pesticide production; professionalized pesticide distribution; scientific pesticide application; and modernized pesticide regulation. To realize these objectives, industry professionals must elevate their political awareness, firmly cultivate a strong risk‑prevention mindset, and strengthen their sense of responsibility, ensuring that they “truly deliver on six key areas”: earnestly fulfilling pesticide regulatory responsibilities; effectively managing administrative approvals for pesticides; robustly overseeing the pesticide market; providing sound guidance on the safe and scientific use of pesticides; proactively guiding the sustainable development of the pesticide industry; and significantly bolstering the capacity to support pesticide regulation.