The Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI), representing 50 leading indigenous agrochemical manufacturers, has challenged what it describes as widespread misinformation linking pesticides to cancer, arguing that scientific evidence does not support such claims.
The federation, whose members account for nearly 75% of India's agrochemical exports to more than 167 countries, said its mission is to promote safe, responsible and sustainable crop protection while strengthening a globally competitive domestic agrochemical industry that supports food security and safe agricultural production.
According to CCFI, one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the industry is the belief that agricultural chemicals are a primary cause of cancer. The organisation said such narratives are increasingly amplified through social media, films and online platforms despite evidence to the contrary.
"Misinformation about cancer is pervasive on the internet and social media. Fear mongering about cancer is a big business and is a profitable online tactic used by influencers and activists," the federation said.
It added that sensational claims linking agriculture and food to cancer generate significant online traffic and revenue while spreading fear among the public. "Sharing and spreading such false information is a major National Security Risk for gullible population," CCFI said.
Citing the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN 2024 data, the federation said India ranks 172nd globally in age-standardised cancer incidence, with the country's cancer rate nearly half the global average.
The data, according to CCFI, also shows that seven of the world's ten highest cancer-incidence countries are in Europe, underscoring that high cancer rates cannot simply be attributed to agricultural chemical use.
The federation also referred to the Global Burden of Disease Study (1990–2016), published by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), noting that Punjab ranks 22nd in age-standardised cancer rates—well below states such as Mizoram, Meghalaya and Sikkim, where organic farming practices are more common.
"Linking use of chemical inputs in agriculture to cancer is utterly malicious. Singapore has no agricultural land. Yet it has higher cancer incidence rate than India," it said.
CCFI said pesticide use is regulated through internationally accepted scientific standards. It noted that the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) establishes Acceptable Daily Intakes (ADIs), which are used by governments and the Codex Alimentarius Commission to set Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for food.
These standards, it said, ensure that lifetime dietary exposure to approved pesticide residues remains within safe limits and form the benchmark for global food trade.
The federation also stressed that pesticides used in India undergo safety assessments before receiving regulatory approval.
Referring to guidance from Cancer Research UK, CCFI said there is no strong scientific evidence linking low-level pesticide residues on food with cancer.
It quoted the organisation as stating: "Leftover pesticides on food does not cause cancer.
"Small amounts of pesticides can remain on the surface of food, like fruits and vegetables which can be reduced by washing under running water, or soaking in baking soda solution or peeling the outer skin before cooking , takes care from soil borne diseases and bacteria as well. But this is at low levels that are not harmful to people.
"You don't need to worry about pesticides on your food …. There is no strong evidence that being exposed to pesticides at low levels causes cancer”.
Highlighting data from the All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues (AINPPR), an ICAR initiative, the federation said nationwide monitoring conducted between 2015 and 2024 found that, on average, only 2.82% of agricultural commodity samples exceeded prescribed Maximum Residue Limits.
In other words, 97.18% of tested food commodities complied with safety standards.
According to CCFI, the monitoring covered cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, spices, tea, meat, fish, eggs, marine products, water and oilseeds. It also noted that milk samples recorded no detectable pesticide residues.
The federation argued that India's compliance rate compares favourably with reported figures from the European Union, the United States and China, where exceedance rates range between 3% and 6%.
Based on these findings, CCFI said Indian food grains, fruits, vegetables, milk and other agricultural commodities are safe for human consumption.
The federation also pointed to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) list of Group 1 carcinogens, saying many commonly encountered substances and occupations are classified as cancer-causing, while pesticides do not feature among the examples highlighted in its presentation.
According to Harish Mehta, senior advisor, CCFI, “The factors behind cancer may be genetics, lifestyle, environment or constitutional characteristics of the individual. There is no single cause for cancer. It is the interaction of many factors together that produces cancer. Managing and mitigating the causes of cancer can shift in wrong direction when public and policy makers focus too narrowly on chemicals."
