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2000-2001 Pesticide Market Estimates: Usage

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Sections: 3.1-3.3 | 3.4-3.6 | 3.7-3.8 | 3.9-3.10

3.1  World and U.S. Pesticide Amount Used

World pesticide amount used exceeded 5.0 billion pounds in 2000 and 2001 (see Table 3.1). Herbicides accounted for the largest portion of total use, followed by other pesticide use, insecticide use, and fungicide use. Total world pesticide amount used decreased in 2001 for all pesticide types.

U.S. pesticide amount used in both 2000 and 2001 exceeded 1.2 billion pounds, in proportions similar to those of world pesticide use, with a larger portion of total U.S. pesticide use on herbicides and other pesticides (see Figure 3.1). U.S. pesticide amount used accounted for more than 20% of total world pesticide amount used, more than 25% of world herbicide amount used, less than 10% of world insecticide amount used, and approximately 15% and 30% of world fungicides and other pesticide amount used, respectively. The estimates of world and U.S. pesticide use rely on estimated pesticide amount used and estimated changes in pesticide amount used by type derived from public and proprietary EPA databases. Subsequent sections provide a more detailed analysis of U.S. pesticide amount used in 2000 and 2001.

Table 3.1
World and U.S. Amount of Pesticide Active Ingredient
at User Level
By Pesticide Type, 2000 and 2001 Estimates

Year World Market U.S. Market U.S. Percentage of
World Market
Type Mil lbs
of a.i.		 % Mil lbs
of a.i.		 %
2000
Herbicides (1) 1,944 36% 542 44%
28%
Insecticides 1,355 25% 122 10%
9%
Fungicides 516 10% 74 6%
14%
Other (2) 1,536 29% 496 40%
32%
Total 5,351 100% 1,234 100%
23%
1999
Herbicides (1) 1,870 37% 553 46%
30%
Insecticides 1,232 24% 105 9%
9%
Fungicides 475 9% 73 6%
15%
Other (2) 1,469 29% 472 39%
32%
Total 5,046 100% 1,203 100%
24%

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding. Table does not cover wood preservatives, specialty biocides, and chlorine/hypochlorites. The abbreviation "a.i." stands for active ingredient.
Source: EPA estimates based on Croplife America annual surveys, USDA/NASS exit EPA disclaimer, and EPA proprietary data.
(1) "Herbicides" include herbicides and plant growth regulators.
(2) "Other" includes nematicides, fumigants, rodenticides, mulluscicides, aquatic and fish/bird pesticides, other miscellaneous conventional pesticides, plus other chemicals used as pesticides (e.g., sulfur and petroleum oil).

Figure 3.1
World and U.S. Pesticide
Amounts of Active Ingredient at User Level
By Pesticide Type, 2001 Estimates

Bar Chart: Millions of Pounds by Pesticide Type. (This chart depicts the 2001 estimates as presented in Table 3.1)

3.2  Pesticide Supply in the U.S.: Producer Level

Table 3.2 summarizes the 2000 and 2001 average U.S. distribution of pesticides at the producer level, including amount of production, amount of imports, amount of exports, and amount of supply (total and net). Pesticide amount related to U.S. pesticide production and consumption comprised 1.6 billion pounds of domestic production, 0.1 billion pounds of imports, 0.4 billion pounds of exports, and 1.3 billion pounds of net supply.

Table 3.2
U.S. Pesticide Production, Imports, Exports, and Supply
in Amount of Active Ingredient Produced
at the Producer Level
Category Active Ingredient
(Billions of Pounds)
Average of 2000 and 2001
Production
1.6
Imports
0.1
Total Supply
1.7
Exports
0.4
Net Supply
1.3

Note: Excludes industrial wood preservatives, specialty biocides, and chlorine/hypochlorites. Includes conventional pesticides and other chemicals used as pesticides (e.g., sulfur and petroleum oil).
Source: EPA estimates based on Croplife America annual surveys, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's Trade Internet System exit EPA disclaimer, and EPA proprietary data.

3.3  Pesticide Amount Used in the U.S.: Total

Total pesticide amount used in the United States approximated 5 billion pounds in both 2000 and 2001 (see Table 3.3). This estimate includes the conventional, other, wood preservative, specialty biocide, and chlorine/hypochlorite pesticide groups. With more than 2.5 billion pounds used, chlorine/hypochlorites exceeded all other pesticide groups combined (see Figure 3.2). The estimates of use by group rely on the estimated amount used and changes in estimated amount used by pesticide group derived from public and proprietary EPA databases. A discussion of the amount used of each pesticide group in 2000 and 2001 appears in subsequent sections (see footnotes to Table 3.3 for location).
Table 3.3
Amount of Pesticides Used in the U.S.
By Pesticide Group, 2000 and 2001 Estimates
Pesticide Group Total (Mil lbs)
2000 2001
Conventional Pesticides (1) 926 888
Other Pesticides (2) 308 315
Specialty Biocides (3) 353 363
Chlorine/Hypochlorites (4) 2,532 2,609
Wood Preservatives (5) 809 797
Total 4,928 4,972

1. See Table 3.4 (conventional pesticides) for additional details and specific source information.
2. "Other pesticides" include other chemicals used as pesticides (e.g. sulfur and petroleum oil). See Table 3.11 (other pesticides) for additional details and specific source information.
3. See Table 3.12 (specialty biocides) for additional details and specific source information.
4. See Table 3.13 (chlorine/hypochlorites) for additional details and specific source information.
5. Source: American Wood Preservatives Institute (AWPI) and EPA proprietary data. "Wood Preservatives" include creosote, pentachlorophenol, and chromated copper arsenate (CCA).

Figure 3.2
Amount of Pesticide Used in the U.S.
By Pesticide Group, 2001 Estimates
Pie Chart depiciting each pesticide group's percentage of total U.S. usage: Chlorine/Hypochlorites, 52%; Conventional Pesticides, 18%; Wood Preservatives, 16%; Specialty Biocides, 7%; Other Pesticides, 6%.
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