Agriculture is one of the greatest threats to birdlife. While global agrochemical use increased by 83% from 1990 to 2021, South Africa’s disproportionality increased by 170%. South Africa accounts for 2% of global agrochemical use on nearly 14 million hectares of cultivated land. Despite thousands of products on the market, the impacts of modern agrochemicals on South Africa’s birds remain poorly understood. To address this gap, BirdLife South Africa launched the Birds and Agrochemicals Project in October 2023 to assess pesticide use, identify toxicity risks to birds in croplands, and provide guidance on practical, long-term mitigation strategies. The project aims to promote safer practices while raising public awareness of how agrochemicals can directly and indirectly impact birds by altering their behaviour, breeding, physiology, habitats, and food sources. By promoting the use of less toxic agrochemicals, sustainable consumer choices, and broader conservation support, the project aims to create healthier agricultural landscapes where birds, ecosystems, and people can coexist and thrive together.
