For many years, the chemical industry has played a major role in scientifi c advances. This role has increased in the past 40 years as global chemical production has escalated. It is reported that over 63 million organic and inorganic chemicals have been registered to date. 1 Many of these chemicals have contributed greatly to an improved quality of life. Agriculture, health, hygiene, nutrition transport, housing, communications, sport, entertainment and many areas of daily life have been transformed by the development and application of chemical products. However, in some cases these benefi ts are outweighed by the risks that certain chemicals pose to human health and the environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that toxic chemicals are responsible for approximately 355,000 deaths each year, with two-thirds of these deaths occurring in developing countries. 2 Pesticides are one of the most toxic types of chemicals. Pesticides can adversely impact the long-term survival of major ecosystems and result in loss of biodiversity. They can also have