Toxic Chemicals in Food System Drive $2.2 Trillion Health and Environmental Crisis
Toxic man-made chemicals, including PFAS and pesticides, deeply embedded in the global food system, are fueling a $1.4-$2.2 trillion annual health and environmental crisis. A report warns these chemicals increase cancer rates, reduce fertility, and damage ecosystems, potentially leading to hundreds of millions fewer births by 2100. It concludes that reducing this dependency is feasible and cost-effective, with regulatory action capable of generating up to $1.9 trillion in annual global savings.
A major report, 'Invisible Ingredients,' highlights that an array of toxic man-made chemicals, including phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides, and PFAS, are deeply ingrained in the global food production system. These chemicals are causing a severe health and environmental crisis, driving increased cancer rates, significantly reducing human fertility, and inflicting extensive damage on the environment, particularly undermining the agricultural systems and natural capital societies depend on.The report estimates the resulting global health burden from these largely unregulated synthetic chemicals at $1.4–$2.2 trillion annually, equivalent to 2−3 percent of global GDP. Environmental impacts, though often undocumented, are also massive, with even conservative estimates for water safety and agricultural losses reaching at least $640 billion per year worldwide. Furthermore, the chemicals' impact on human fertility is critically undermining long-term economic and social resilience, with projections of 200–700 million fewer global births between 2025 and 2100 if current exposure persists.These dangerous chemicals are intentionally used in various aspects of food production, from fertilizers and pesticides to processing aids, equipment, and packaging, and also enter the system unintentionally through contamination. The report, however, concludes that addressing this dependency is both possible and cost-effective. It emphasizes that the benefits of action significantly outweigh the costs of inaction. Reducing pesticide dependence, for example, would alleviate human health burdens, strengthen ecological resilience by aiding pollinators and natural predators, and improve soil health, offering climate and biodiversity co-benefits. Past regulatory actions demonstrate that governments setting clear rules can prompt rapid industry adaptation, often at lower costs than anticipated. The report suggests that existing policies and technologies could reduce combined harms by approximately 70 percent, delivering up to $1.9 trillion in annual global savings, a figure far greater than the costs of implementing such changes.
