Over the last hundred years, global chemical production has grown exponentially, from 1 million tonnes in 1930 to several hundred million tonnes today. The European Union (EU) is the second largest producer in the world after China, and it is estimated that over 100,000 chemical substances are present on the European market. Italy, with a production value exceeding 66 billion euros, is the third largest producer in Europe after Germany and France, and the twelfth globally. Around 2,800 chemical companies operate in Italy, employing more than 112,000 people, although chemical products are used in all production sectors.

The European regulation on chemical substances is likely the most ambitious in the world, aiming to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment. The main reference regulations are REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) and CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging). Responsibility for the safe management of chemicals lies primarily with the companies that manufacture, import, or use them. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the competent authorities of EU Member States monitor company compliance and can intervene with specific measures if risks to human health or the environment are not properly controlled. Through regulatory process monitoring, the indicator provides elements to assess progress in achieving safety objectives set by the legislation.

The European Farm to Fork strategy sets two targets to be achieved by 2030: a 50% reduction in the use and risk of chemical pesticides and a 50% reduction in the use of the most hazardous pesticides. To measure progress towards these targets, two indicators have been defined based on the sales of active substances contained in plant protection products and the hazardous properties of these substances. The indicators described represent the European and national trends in progress towards the pesticide reduction goals of the Farm to Fork strategy. In 2022, the use and risk of chemical pesticides showed a 36% decrease at the European level compared to the 2015-2017 baseline period. For Italy, the reduction exceeds the European target, reaching 53%, with a 10 percentage point decrease in the last year. Regarding the use of the most hazardous pesticides, the national decrease in 2022 was faster than the European one, amounting to a 34% reduction compared to the European 25% (relative to the 2015-2017 period).