Pesticide Action Networks Perspective

1
Pesticide Action Networks Perspective

• on the
• Revised International Code of Conduct on the
  Distribution and Use of Pesticides (FAO Code)

Presentation by Jennifer Mourin Pesticides
Programme Coordinator Pesticide Action Network
(PAN) Asia and the Pacific
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Why The Code Is Important

• Pesticide poisonings, lack of appropriate
  protective equipment harm to human health the
  environment are just a few of the continuing
  problems found the world over from pesticide
  usage
• The amendments to the FAO Code strengthen the
  commitment to address these problems - they
  address several areas that have been neglected or
  paid insufficient attention to in the old code

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Why The Code Is Important

• It is recognised as the globally accepted
  standard for pesticide management on which many
  countries base their pesticide laws
• Its influence indicates the importance of
  adopting the amended code as a matter of urgency
  

• Implementation of the revised Code would make
  a real difference to the majority of the worlds
  population women and men farmers and
  agricultural workers, especially in developing
• countries exposed to pesticides every day

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Important Areas

• Greater emphasis on reducing risks hazards,
  including a stronger warning against availability
  of extremely highly toxic, hazardous products
  (WHO classes Ia and Ib) in developing countries
• Explicit recognition of the importance of
  addressing environmental risks in addition to
  health, with a call for monitoring of pesticide
  residues in food the environment, protection of
  biodiversity minimizing the adverse effects of
  pesticides in the water, soil, air on
  non-target organisms
• Support for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that
  emphasises growth of a healthy crop, with least
  disruption to agro-ecosystems encourages
  natural pest controls

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Important Areas

• Stronger requirements on
• protective equipment for tropical
• areas for improved application
• technology
• Product stewardship strategies
• that address field level impacts
• Introduction of collection systems
• for empty pesticide containers
• Request for commodity food industry groups to
  influence agricultural practices

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Important Areas

• Since Code now calls on the food industry to
  assist in implementation offers opportunities
  for looking at supply chains calling on
  companies (e.g. banana, coffee, cocoa, palm oil)
  to ensure the Code is followed in production
• NGOs have always been called on to help monitor
  implementation of the Code this is now
  reinforced (12.9) NGOs and other interested
  parties are invited to monitor activities related
  to the implementation of the Code and report
  these to the Director General of FAO
• FAO is developing a strategy for implementation
  of the Code one proposal is to report every two
  years at the FAO Biennial Conference

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Recent Experience Using the Code

• PAN AP, PAN UK, PAN Germany Berne Declaration
  sent letters to UN FAOs Director General, about
  Syngenta Crop Protection Ltds advertisement
  campaign in Thailand
• Advert campaign was part of Syngentas 2004
  marketing activity to promote the new formulation
  of the herbicide paraquat, sold under trade name
  Gramoxone Gold Cap
• We expressed concern that the advert drive
  violated the UN FAO Code of Conduct on the
  Distribution Use of Pesticides, in particular
  Article 11.2.18.
• Other violations of Article 11 were also noted
• We also argued that the advertisement promotion
  drive by Syngenta went against the letter
  spirit of the Code misrepresented the toxic
  herbicide paraquat -- a product that could
  endanger both farmers consumers in Thailand

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The Advert

• Promotion of Gramoxone Gold Cap was a lucky
  drive competition - entry gave people chances
  to win different prizes in June, July October
• Prizes ranged as follows
• ? winning 1 liter of the new formulated
  Gramoxone Gold Cap or a Safety Kit
• ? winning a Yamaha Fresh motorcycle, and
  winning a Nissan King Cab Truck
• every purchase of Gramoxone would contribute to
  Syngentas Fund for New Generation Farmers to
  support safe foodthis constituted the fourth
  prize
• other prizes included Gramoxone jackets and
  t-shirt

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FAO Reacts

• On 10 September 2004 PAN AP received a letter
  from Mr. Mahmoud Solh, Director of the Plant
  Protection and Protection Division, of the UN
  FAO, stating
• I wish to commend Pesticide Action Network
  for this initiative, which is in line with the
  provisions of the revised version of the
  International Code of Conduct on the Distribution
  and Use of Pesticides, in particular with Article
  12, paragraph 12.9 on monitoring and Observance
  of the Code
• Mr Solh also stated
• You may note, in this regard, that FAO has
  written to the Ministry of Agriculture in
  Thailand with a view to bringing the concerns you
  have expressed to the attention of the
  responsible government entity

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Monitoring Experiences from Malaysia

• 1999- 2001 - PAN AP Tenaganita
• (Womens Force) work with women
• plantation workers on community
• based pesticides monitoring to
• assess health impacts
• A major workforce on plantations,
• the women routinely mix, handle
• spray pesticides, are poisoned by
• pesticides (mostly herbicides) they spray
• daily suffer myriad of serious acute chronic
  health effects
• Report called Poisoned and Silenced launched
  in 2001, identified paraquat as a main offender
  in palm oil plantations
• Because of its effects to workers and users of
  Paraquat, Malaysia has classified it as Class I
  (extremely hazardous) pesticide although World
  Health Organisation has classified it as Class II
  (highly hazardous) pesticides.

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Paraquat Banned!

• Poisoning due to Paraquat is clearly demonstrated
  in the surveys and interviews with workers, and
  indicated in the medical examinations
• Women suffered nose bleeds, tearing of the eyes,
  contact dermatitis, skin irritation sores, nail
  discolouration, dropping of the nails, swelling
  of the joints abdominal ulcerations

• Involvement of Malaysian National Poisons
  Centre in report, activities by Tenaganita
  PAN AP trigger reaction among Malaysian
  government officials
• Paraquat banned in Malaysia in August 2002!!

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PAN APs Recommendations

• Regarding
• Greater emphasis on reducing risks hazards,
  including a stronger warning against availability
  of extremely highly toxic, hazardous products
  (WHO classes Ia and Ib) in developing countries

13
Class 1 Pesticides

• Class I pesticides, including monocrotophos and
  methamidophos, are often used in Malaysian
  plantations by workers without any knowledge of
  their hazards exposing them their families to
  these poisons.
• Although the PAN AP/Tenaganita study did not
  specifically identify the WHO Class 1 pesticides
  (classified as extremely and highly hazardous),
  they are allowed for use commonly known that
  they are used!
• We call for a ban
• on all Class 1 pesticides!!

14
Endosulfan in Kerala 20 years of Aeriel Spraying
in a Cashew-nut plantation
? Shruti, was born with three deformed limbs
a congenital anomaly
Eleven-Month-Old Sainada ? died Of Hydrocephalus
(Unusual Enlargement Of The Head) on June 4, 2001
Manikantan suffers ? from acute skin problems
? Dwarfism due to Endosulfan exposure
15
Kamukhaan A Poisoned Village
Villagers complained of numerous health problems
from exposure to the hazardous chemicals
Kamukhaan, Mindanao, Philippines - a community of
150 families effected by pesticides used by
LADECO banana plantation through aerial ground
spraying. Pesticides/drugs used Paraquat,
Baycor, Decis, Formalin, Furadan Nemacur
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Ban Aerial Spraying!
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New Developments

• PAN UK has been contracted by, and accepted a
  consultancy, from the FAO to write the Guidelines
  on
• ? GUIDELINES for ARTICLE 11 OF THE CODE (on
  pesticide advertising)
• ? MONITORING OF INCIDENTS HEALTH AND
  ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (monitoring Incidents of
  pesticide poisonings)
• In writing reviewing the guidelines PAN UK will
  be seeking the views of PAN regions, CropLife,
  representative regulators others

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New Developments

• The stronger Code provides a good tool for
  community monitoring PAN AP will be
  incorporating the requirements in the Code as a
  yardstick for monitoring compliance
• We plan to incorporate relevant aspects of the
  revised Code into our Community Pesticides Action
  Monitoring (CPAM), with the aim of bringing
  relevant monitoring results to the attention of
  the FAO related government officials for
  further action

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Thank You!