Maximum residue limit (MRL) is the primary policy instrument to regulate the application of pesticides in agri-food sectors. Partially due to the lack of scientific consensus on risk assessments, the prescriptions of MRLs vary substantially across markets and products. We provide the first empirical analysis of the political economy of MRLs at the market-product-chemical level, while accounting for long-term toxicological effects of the regulated substances. Applying a Poisson model to the Health Scores derived from both the literal MRLs and their long-run health impacts, we find that countries spending more on public health set more restrictive MRLs. We also find that countries possessing comparative advantages in fruits and vegetables adopt more lenient MRLs. Finally, products subject to lower tariffs are generally taxed with tougher MRLs.

中文翻译：

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最大残留限量的政治经济学：长期健康视角

最大残留限量 (MRL) 是监管农业食品部门农药使用的主要政策工具。部分由于缺乏对风险评估的科学共识，MRL 的处方因市场和产品而异。我们首次在市场-产品-化学水平上对 MRL 的政治经济学进行了实证分析，同时考虑了受管制物质的长期毒理学影响。将泊松模型应用于从字面 MRL 及其长期健康影响得出的健康评分，我们发现在公共卫生上花费更多的国家设定了更多的限制性 MRL。我们还发现，在水果和蔬菜方面具有比较优势的国家采用更宽松的 MRL。最后，关税较低的产品通常以更严格的 MRL 征税。