Regulating agrochemical supply chains in Brazil: domestic law, sustainability due diligence laws and international law

Toxic chemicals pose a serious risk to the full enjoyment of human rights, including the right to health, adequate food, safe working conditions, a healthy environment, and the land rights of indigenous peoples and rural communities. This article discusses the impact of the agrochemical industry on human rights and the environment in countries in the Global South, like Brazil. In order to cope with these adverse impacts, this article argues for a triple-layer regulatory and oversight framework operating across domestic, regional, and international levels. Locally, Brazil must establish better inspection mechanisms through the coordination of its main agencies on environment, health and human rights. Regionally, while critical attention has historically centred on the European Union’s double standard of exporting pesticides banned within its own borders, this paper positions the newly adopted EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) as a pivotal paradigm shift. We argue that by mandating rigorous human rights and environmental due diligence across global value chains, the Directive serves as a vital extraterritorial tool to enforce corporate accountability where domestic oversight remains weak. Finally, the article concludes by reflecting on the growing international call for a binding global treaty to regulate the use of hazardous pesticides in agriculture.