Australia’s tighter pesticide safety requirements have prompted Syngenta to withdraw its paraquat products, reigniting debate over worker protection, hazardous chemicals and the future of weed management in modern agriculture.
Syngenta will stop selling its controversial paraquat herbicide in Australia after tougher safety rules made the product “commercially unviable”, marking another setback for a chemical that has faced decades of global scrutiny over its toxicity and alleged links to Parkinson’s disease.
The Swiss-based agricultural giant, one of the world’s largest pesticide producers, said it would phase out its paraquat products in Australia in line with timelines set by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
The decision follows new restrictions introduced by Australia’s pesticide regulator in June, including a ban on backpack sprayer use, additional protective equipment requirements for workers and a significantly reduced maximum application rate per hectare.
Syngenta ANZ Managing Director David Van Ryswyk said the company’s decision followed a commercial review after the new rules were announced.
“Regulatory constraints, combined with a highly complex and increasingly expensive supply chain, have made the paraquat herbicide products commercially unviable,” Van Ryswyk said.
Paraquat has been produced by Syngenta for decades and remains one of the world’s most widely discussed agricultural chemicals. The herbicide is banned in more than 70 countries, including the European Union, where it has been prohibited since 2007.
Health experts and researchers in several countries have raised concerns over long-term exposure among agricultural workers, particularly regarding possible links between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease.
Melbourne neurologist Associate Professor Wes Thevathasan said there was growing international evidence connecting paraquat exposure with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
“There are now multiple epidemiological studies or real-world exposure studies that have suggested that paraquat increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease by around threefold,” he said.
However, Australia’s APVMA has said its assessment found that approved paraquat use did not show an unacceptable increase in Parkinson’s disease risk. Instead, the regulator focused on reducing risks from acute exposure, worker safety and potential harm to animals.
Paraquat cannot be used in domestic settings in Australia but has remained an important chemical for farmers, particularly in broad-acre cropping sectors such as grain production, sugarcane and cotton.
While Syngenta’s products will leave the Australian market, generic paraquat products are expected to remain available to local growers.
The withdrawal has created uncertainty among farming groups, which argue that losing herbicide options could make weed management more difficult.
Grain Producers Australia spokesperson Andrew Weidemann said the decision raised concerns about the future availability of agricultural tools.
“Australia is a relatively small market, and decisions like this call future investment into question,” he said.
“If companies cannot see sufficient value in maintaining products here, growers risk being left with fewer choices at the same time we urgently need more tools to manage herbicide resistance.”
Environmental and public health advocates welcomed the move, arguing that stricter controls on highly hazardous pesticides are necessary to protect workers, communities and ecosystems. They say the transition away from paraquat should encourage investment in safer weed-control technologies.
The debate reflects a wider global challenge: how governments and agricultural industries can maintain food production while reducing dependence on chemicals associated with serious health and environmental concerns.
Syngenta’s Australian phase-out adds to growing international pressure on paraquat and highlights the difficult balance between agricultural productivity, worker safety and public health.
