Global trade in illegal pesticides has been steadily growing in recent years, posing serious threats to agriculture, the environment, human health, and the economy. Evidence of this trend can be found in the increasing number of seizures of counterfeit, fake, and unauthorised pesticides, as well as their growing share in the global pesticide market. This paper identifies the main drivers and enablers of this illicit trade, and explores the potential of digital technologies, such as blockchain, to support policies to tackle this criminal activity. It also outlines the challenges in the adoption of these digital-based policy responses and discusses other available policy options.
