Group call for ban of harmful pesticide to Africa
Omeiza Bilal
A coalition of civil society organisations has called on African countries to ban the import of EU-banned pesticides into the continent.
The coalition in the report published on Pesticides Action Network website recently stressed that many peasant farmers and rural inhabitants have been victims of pesticide poisoning.
“Contrary to what the pesticide lobby argues, an export ban would neither endanger employment nor burden the economy in Europe. These are the conclusions of a report, commissioned by a coalition of civil society organisations urging EU policymakers to act without further delay.
“The double standard on hazardous pesticides must come to an end. If they are too toxic here, they are toxic everywhere. There are no obstacles preventing the EU from adopting strict measures. An export ban will hardly affect the EU economy but will send a powerful message against the spread of toxic chemicals in third countries, where pesticide companies are exploiting lax legislation. The EU must act now.” highlights Rina Guadagnini, policy officer at PAN Europe, on behalf of the coalition members.
The EU has prohibited some pesticides that seriously harm health and the environment from its territory. At the same time, it produces and export them. This causes great damage to health and the environment in other countries, especially for farmers and rural communities in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) where regulations are weaker and hazardous pesticide use poses the greatest risks. The double standard is also unfair competition for farmers in the EU.
After committing to ban the export of these pesticides in 2020, the EU has been stalling, and even backtracking, under pressure from the industry, which fiercely opposes the adoption of an EU-wide export ban.
However, the thorough investigation presented in this report gives a completely different picture. “Based on the pesticide export data for the seven main European exporting countries, we calculated that the total number of jobs potentially at risk as a result of a hypothetical EU export ban would be as low as 133 jobs in 2018, or 1.07% of total employment in the sector, 213 jobs in 2021, and 173 jobs in 2022” explains Christophe Alliot of LeBasic and lead investigator of the report.
This is not exactly shocking compared to the 198 million people employed in the EU in 2022.
While the negative impact on the EU’s economy would be minimal, the positive impact on third countries would be significant. The EU is the leading exporter of pesticides worldwide. Therefore, stricter rules on the export of will have wide-ranging positive effects at the global level. Stopping the export of EU-banned pesticides would reduce exposure, and all related risks to the health of farm workers, rural populations and the environment.
Laurent Gaberell from Public Eye said: “A ban will also inspire non-EU countries to follow and also prohibit the export of dangerous pesticides and other hazardous chemicals that are banned in their own jurisdictions. It would send a strong signal to governments and companies that such hazardous pesticides and chemicals should not be used anywhere in the world.”
