The International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management provides a voluntary framework and standards for managing pesticides throughout their life cycle. The Code is directed primarily at government authorities and the pesticide industry but is also relevant for other stakeholders. The Code has been endorsed by the FAO members and is supported by key pesticide industry associations and civil society organizations.

The FAO’s governing bodies approved the first version of the Code of Conduct in 1985. The current, fourth version was developed collaboratively by the FAO and the WHO and was approved in 2013. This version incorporates public health pesticides and vector control to broaden the scope beyond agricultural pesticides. It gives greater attention to health and environmental risks, updates definitions and terms, and aligns guidance in several technical areas with developments in the management of chemicals.