2. Sustainable Agriculture Network - Prohibited Pesticide List (April 2009)
Copies of this document are available for free in electronic format at any Sustainable Agriculture
Network member or at the Rainforest Alliance website:
www.rainforest-alliance.org
If you are not able to access electronically this document, you may write to us at the following address
to get hard copies at a reasonable cost-covering price:
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P.O. Box 11029
1000 San José
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Please send your comments or suggestions concerning this Sustainable Agriculture Network Standards
& Policy document to:
agstandards@ra.org
Or via regular mail to:
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Rainforest Alliance
P.O. Box 11029
1000 San José
Costa Rica
SAN Prohibited Pesticide List April 2009 2
3. Sustainable Agriculture Network - Prohibited Pesticide List (April 2009)
The Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) is a coalition of independent non-profit conservation organizations that
promote the social and environmental sustainability of agricultural activities by developing standards. A Certification Body
certifies farms that comply with SAN’s standards. Each inspection body - authorized by a Certification Body - provides
audit services for farmers and agricultural companies in their respective countries. SAN members also offer their
knowledge and experience in working towards the development of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Rainforest
Alliance currently holds the Secretariat for the Sustainable Agriculture Network and coordinates the development and
review of standards and related policies for the SAN. Rainforest Alliance also administers the Rainforest Alliance
Certified™ trademark.
The Sustainable Agriculture Standard (version April 2009, Sustainable Agriculture Network) prohibits
the use of several pesticides on Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms determined by international lists
of reference. If use of these pesticides on Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms is detected during
audits, this consequently leads to the cancelling of Rainforest Alliance Certified™ certification as
defined by SAN’s Farm Certification Policy (version April 2009).
This SAN standards and policy document is binding for Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farm
certification. It updates sources for critical criterion 8.4. It also provides a complete list of pesticides
currently prohibited or to be phased out on Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.
The wording of criterion 8.4 (version April 2009, Sustainable Agriculture Standard) is:
8.4 Critical Criterion. The following chemical or biological substances cannot be used on certified
farms:
a. Biological or organic substances that are not legally registered in the country for commercial
use.
b. Agrochemicals that are not registered officially in the country.
c. Agrochemicals that are mentioned in the List of Banned and Severely Restricted Pesticides in
the U.S. by its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or pesticides banned or severely
restricted in the European Union.
d. Substances that have been banned globally under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs).
e. Substances listed in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent
(PIC), in relation to national bans or severe restrictions for documented health or
environmental reasons in at least two regions of the World.
f. All Pesticide Action Network Dirty Dozen substances.
Updated respective references for 8.4.c, d, e & f are:
European Commission. Health & Consumer Protection Directorate - General. Directive 79/117/EEC,
Council Regulation 805/2004/EC, Directive 91/414/EEC and regulation (EC) of the European
Parliament and of the Council No. 689/2008
http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/protection/evaluation/exist_subs_rep_en.htm
European Commission Joint Research Centre. Institute for Health and Consumer Protection.
http://edexim.jrc.it/
SAN Prohibited Pesticide List April 2009 3
4. Sustainable Agriculture Network - Prohibited Pesticide List (April 2009)
Pesticide Action Network. Dirty Dozen pesticides:
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Docs/ref_toxicity7.html#DirtyDozen
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade: http://www.pic.int/home.php?type=t&id=29&sid=30
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs). http://www.pic.int/home.php?type=t&id=29&sid=30
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Restricted and Canceled Uses of Pesticides.
www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/restricted.htm#restricted
The following table lists 98 active ingredients and the respective sources based on critical criterion 8.4
of the Sustainable Agriculture Standard. The SAN regulatory status is referenced in the last column on
the right. Since the publication of the November 2005 SAN standard and additional criteria, 84 of these
substances have not been permitted to be used on Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms (Referenced
as: Prohibited since November 2005).
SAN’s International Standards Committee decided during its meeting in May 2008 to update some of
the reference lists for criterion 8.4. The main reference list for pesticides prohibited by the European
Commission is based on Directive 91/414/EEC reflected in Regulation (EC) of the European
Parliament and of the Council No. 689/2008 – more specifically Annex’ I Parts 2 and 31. Pesticides
included in Annex’ I Part 1 - but not listed in Annex’ I Parts 2 and 3 - are not mentioned in this
document. Industrial Chemicals do not form part of this list either. This has led to an addition of 14
new substances in the following table in comparison with the first version of the list. Rainforest
Alliance Certified™ farms have to phase-out the use of these 14 substances within the next three years,
meaning that their use is not permitted after June 30, 2011 (Referenced as: 3-year phase-out (limit
June 30, 2011)):
European PAN6 Dirty SAN Regulatory
Active Ingredient EPA2 POP4 PIC5
Union3 Dozen Status
1. 1,2-dibromoethane (ethylene Prohibited since
dibromide)
X X X X November 2005
2. 1,2-dichloroethane (ethylene Prohibited since
dichloride)
X X X November 2005
3. 2,3,4,5-bis(2-butylene)
Prohibited since
tetrahydro-2-furaldehyde X November 2005
[repellent-11]
4. 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-
trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) Prohibited since
and its salts and esters
X X X November 2005
(dioxin contamination)
1
39 of the Annex’ I List 1 substances, which were included in the July 2008 version of SAN Prohibited Pesticide List
are not longer included.
2
U.S. List of "Banned" or "Severely Restricted" Pesticides and U.N. PIC Pesticides
3
Pesticides banned or severely restricted in EU as a consequence of the application of Directive 79/117/EEC, Council
Regulation 805/2004/EC and Directive 91/414/EEC
4
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
5
Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent
6
Pesticide Action Network
SAN Prohibited Pesticide List April 2009 4
5. Sustainable Agriculture Network - Prohibited Pesticide List (April 2009)
European PAN Dirty SAN Regulatory
Active Ingredient EPA POP PIC
Union Dozen Status
5. 2,4,5-TCP (potassium Prohibited since
2,4,5-trichlorophenate)
X November 2005
Prohibited since
6. acephate X November 2005
3-year phase-out
7. alachlor X (limit June 30, 2011)
Prohibited since
8. aldicarb X November 2005
Prohibited since
9. aldrin X X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
10. amitraz X November 2005
11. arsenic compounds (EPA:
arsenic trioxide; calcium, Prohibited since
copper, lead and sodium
X X November 2005
arsenate; sodium arsenite)
Prohibited since
12. atrazine X November 2005
Prohibited since
13. binapacryl X X November 2005
Prohibited since
14. bromoxynil X November 2005
Prohibited since
15. butylate X November 2005
16. cadmium and its Prohibited since
compounds
X November 2005
3-year phase-out
17. cadusafos (ebufos) X (limit June 30, 2011)
X
(gra- Prohibited since
18. captafol
nular
X November 2005
only)
3-year phase-out
19. carbaryl X (limit June 30, 2011)
3-year phase-out (limit
June 30, 2011) for
formulations other than
20. carbofuran X X granular ones (already
Prohibited since
November 2005)
Prohibited since
21. carbon tetrachloride X November 2005
3-year phase-out (limit
22. carbosulfan X June 30, 2011)
Prohibited since
23. chloranil X November 2005
Prohibited since
24. chlordane X X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
25. chlordecone (kepone) X November 2005
Prohibited since
26. chlordimeform X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
27. chlorfenapyr X November 2005
Prohibited since
28. chlorobenzilate X X X X November 2005
29. chloromethoxypropyl- Prohibited since
mercuric-acetate (CPMA) X November 2005
Prohibited since
30. chlozolinate X November 2005
SAN Prohibited Pesticide List April 2009 5
6. Sustainable Agriculture Network - Prohibited Pesticide List (April 2009)
European PAN Dirty SAN Regulatory
Active Ingredient EPA POP PIC
Union Dozen Status
31. cyhalothrine (but not
Prohibited since
lambda isomers of X November 2005
cyhalothrin)
Prohibited since
32. daminozide (alar) X November 2005
Prohibited since
33. DBCP X X November 2005
Prohibited since
34. DDT X X X X November 2005
35. dicofol containing less than
78% p,p*-Dicofol or >1 g/kg Prohibited since
of DDT and DDT related
X November 2005
compounds
Prohibited since
36. dieldrin X X X X X November 2005
3-year phase-out
37. dimethenamid X (limit June 30, 2011)
38. dinoseb, its acetate and Prohibited since
dinoseb salts
X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
39. dinoterb X November 2005
40. di (phenylmercury)
Prohibited since
dodecenylsuccinate X November 2005
(PMDS)
41. DNOC (dinitro-ortho-cresol)
Prohibited since
and its salts (ammonium, X X X X November 2005
potassium, sodium)
42. Dustable powder
formulations containing a
combination of: benomyl at Prohibited since
or above 7%, carbofuran at
X X November 2005
or above 10%, thiram at or
above 5% (PIC: 15%)
3-year phase-out
43. endosulfan X (limit June 30, 2011)
Prohibited since
44. endrin X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
45. EPN X November 2005
Prohibited since
46. ethylene oxide (oxirane) X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
47. ethyl hexyleneglycol X November 2005
Prohibited since
48. fenthion X November 2005
Prohibited since
49. fentin acetate X November 2005
Prohibited since
50. fentin hydroxide X November 2005
Prohibited since
51. fenvalerate X November 2005
Prohibited since
52. ferbam X November 2005
Prohibited since
53. fluoroacetamide X X X November 2005
54. haloxyfop-R (haloxyfop-P- 3-year phase-out
methyl-ester)
X (limit June 30, 2011)
SAN Prohibited Pesticide List April 2009 6
7. Sustainable Agriculture Network - Prohibited Pesticide List (April 2009)
European PAN Dirty SAN Regulatory
Active Ingredient EPA POP PIC
Union Dozen Status
55. HCH mixed isomers
Prohibited since
(containing less than 99.0% X X X November 2005
of the gamma isomer)
Prohibited since
56. heptachlor X X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
57. hexachlorobenzene (HCB) X X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
58. leptophos X November 2005
Prohibited since
59. lindane (gamma-HCH) X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
60. malathion X November 2005
61. maleic hydrazide and its
salts, other than choline,
potassium and sodium
salts; choline, potassium
Prohibited since
and sodium salts; maleic X November 2005
hydrazide containing more
than 1 mg/kg of free
hydrazine expressed on the
basis of the acid equivalent
62. Mercury compounds
(including mercuric oxide,
mercurous chloride
(calomel), phenylmercury
acetate (PMA), Prohibited since
phenylmercuric oleate
X X X November 2005
(PMO) other inorganic
mercury compounds: alkyl
mercury, alkoxyalkyl and
aryl mercury compounds)
X (600 X (600
g/l (SL) g/l (SL)
formu- formu- Prohibited since
63. methamidophos
lation
X lation November 2005
and and
higher) higher)
64. methyl parathion (parathion Prohibited since
methyl)
X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
65. mevinphos X November 2005
Prohibited since
66. mirex X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
67. monocrotophos X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
68. monolinuron X November 2005
Prohibited since
69. monuron X November 2005
Prohibited since
70. nitrofen X X November 2005
3-year phase-out (limit
71. nonylphenol ethoxylates X June 30, 2011)
72. OMPA Prohibited since
(octamethylpyrophosphoramide)
X November 2005
3-year phase-out (limit
73. oxydemeton-methyl X June 30, 2011)
SAN Prohibited Pesticide List April 2009 7
8. Sustainable Agriculture Network - Prohibited Pesticide List (April 2009)
European PAN Dirty SAN Regulatory
Active Ingredient EPA POP PIC
Union Dozen Status
Prohibited since
74. paraquat X November 2005
Prohibited since
75. parathion X X X X November 2005
76. pentachlorophenol, its salts Prohibited since
and esters
X X X X November 2005
Prohibited since
77. permethrin X November 2005
3-year phase-out (limit
78. phosalone X June 30, 2011)
X X
(1000 (1000
g/l (SL) g/l (SL) Prohibited since
79. phosphamidon formu- X formu- November 2005
lation lation
and and
higher) higher)
80. polychlorinated biphenyls
Prohibited since
PCB (except mono-and November 2005
dichlorinated) X
Prohibited since
81. propham X November 2005
Prohibited since
82. pyrazophos X November 2005
Prohibited since
83. pyriminil (vacor) X November 2005
Prohibited since
84. quintozene X November 2005
Prohibited since
85. safrole X November 2005
Prohibited since
86. silvex X November 2005
Prohibited since
87. simazine X November 2005
Prohibited since
88. TDE X November 2005
Prohibited since
89. technazene X November 2005
90. terpene polychlorinates Prohibited since
(strobane) X November 2005
Prohibited since
91. thallium sulphate X X November 2005
3-year phase-out (limit
92. thiodicarb X June 30, 2011)
Prohibited since
93. toxaphene (camphechlor) X X X X X November 2005
3-year phase-out (limit
94. triazophos X June 30, 2011)
3-year phase-out (limit
95. trichlorfon X June 30, 2011)
96. triorganostannic
Prohibited since
compounds (tributyltin X X November 2005
compounds)
Prohibited since
97. vinyl chloride X November 2005
Prohibited since
98. zineb X November 2005
The former table will be updated once a year implementing the respective decisions of the International Standards Committee.
Newly added substances will be subject to a three-year phase out from the date of the SAN update. Once this phase-out period
has ended the use of these substances is not permitted on Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.
SAN Prohibited Pesticide List April 2009 8
