Understanding the impacts of pesticides on children

Highlights

Exposure to pesticides has been identified as a major child rights concern in UNICEF ́s studies on business impacts on children in the cocoa, tea and palm oil supply chains. UNICEF's Child Rights and Business team and UNICEF ́s Climate, Energy and Environment team have just released a discussion paper on the impacts of pesticides on children, developed with support from FAO, UNEP, and the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes.

This discussion paper brings a child rights perspective into this crucial discussion, by 1) highlighting the vulnerabilities unique to children, and 2) offering reflections for preventing their exposure to pesticides. Thus, acknowledging the impacts and identifying potential solutions that meet both our need for food and environmental health has become an international priority.