Justice in the Crossfire: Legal Accountability for Pesticides and Their Role in Climate Change

“Climate change” is no longer a distant environmental issue but an intensifying crisis. The prolonged study on climate change has highlighted major drivers that are widely recognised, such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation; however, very little attention has been given to the role of modern agricultural practices, particularly the widespread use of chemical pesticides. Thus, in very long-term studies on climate change, much focus was placed on the major reasons, and individual subjects causing the same were considered more relevant. This paper critically examines the relationship between pesticide-intensive use in agriculture and climate change by bringing together ecological, public-health, and legal perspectives. The scholars have tried to identify how pesticide use contributes to climate change by degrading soil health, contaminating water bodies, disrupting biodiversity, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. An attempt has been made to draw upon doctrinal legal analysis and empirical fieldwork conducted in Rajasthan, India. The study explores the ecological and human health impacts of chemical pesticide-based farming. The field study highlights growing concerns among farmers, pesticide vendors, and end consumers about the long-term sustainability of chemical agriculture. The present research paper also reviews traditional Indian organic farming methods and discusses India’s efforts toward sustainable agricultural development. The study highlights pesticides as an underexamined driver of climate change, which could disturb the natural balance of life and its habitat. The paper concludes that pesticide use is a significant yet underexplored factor in climate change and advocates for a transition to organic and eco-friendly alternatives.