It is illegal to use paraquat in at least 74 jurisdictions worldwide, including the European Union, China, Malaysia, Brazil and, most recently, the US state of Vermont.

But today, Australia’s chemical regulator gave this effective but highly toxic herbicide the green light.

After a nearly 30-year review, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) finally decided paraquat can continue to be used on Australian farms.

It will have to be used at reduced rates and can no longer be applied with backpack sprayers, only in enclosed systems.

There’s no doubt paraquat is dangerous. It’s a Schedule 7 poison that is acutely toxic to humans if touched, swallowed or inhaled. Farmers have to be exceptionally careful in how they handle it.

Health advocacy groups and neurologists called for an outright ban on paraquat over concerns longer-term exposure could be linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Why is Australia so dependent on this chemical? As our recent research shows, the reasons are simple. Generic imported paraquat is cheap and effective, and there are few alternatives given the way we currently farm. Ironically, paraquat is largely imported from China, where its domestic use is banned.

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