Saro gives an introduction about the amount of used pesticides globally and about the impacts. Currently there are used more than 2 million tonnes of pesticides worldwide and per year. And the demand is still increasing, especially in the global south. This enormous use lead into 385 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning per year, an increase of 350 million cases in the last 30 years. Most of this poisoning are occupational, but also the wrong storage, misuse because of missing or wrong labeling, disposal of package to the environment or double and domestic use of packages and containers cases impacts and health and environment. Next to the acute poising, which also causes a lots of death, several long term health impacts are connected to pesticides such as cancer, asthma, reproductive disorders among others. In particular this is more dangerous of more volurable groups like children. The environmental impacts are less dramatic. Big diver of loss of biodiversity especially insects. To end all this Highly Hazardous Pesticides have to be phased out and be replace with Agroecology. Also remove double standards and engage for a binding treaty to regulate hazardous pesticides.
Valéria: The use of pesticides has various impacts on the environment and people; and many of these impacts are related to human rights abuses. Contamination of soil and water, deforestation and in general the loss of biodiversity has a huge impact on rural communities as it has acute and chronic affects on the health and also leads to death caused by acute poisoning. But more than that the people lose their food sources, food sovereignty decreases, and autonomy is weaken. People who are structural discriminated like Indigenous People are even more effected. In consequence the use of pesticides can result into displacements for people. Sometimes pesticides are also dedicated used for that displacement. And a lot of people globally suffer under repression when they act against that status quo. All these are results of various mechanisms, which are related to each other. The use of pesticides is functional to a specific land use of companies, not to gain food more to gain commodities for exports and energy, shortly for profit. This land use is supported by governments as they are also benefit. For example, there is a lack of regulations and protection mechanism and missing capacities to build this up in nearly all Latin American countries. It is mostly impossible to reach justice via courts, because of the burden to proof the contamination. And the specific land use is part of a new form of colonialism. The global north exports pesticides, which are mostly forbidden in the origin countries. The global south imports these pesticides and exports raw materials and basic commodities like fruits and crops.
Anne: AGRA supported the establishment of a network of Agrochemical dealers. Bringing toxic pesticides to all villages. AGRA changes policies on fertiliziers and seed legislation to the disadvantages of small scale farmers. Dependence has been created. In most African countries pesticides are registered without testing and is no monitoring, so there is no knowledge on how pesticides are used. Most tests are made in Europe, so on completely different conditions. There are no information about the effects on local species. And the countries do also not regulated the sale of pesticides. They are mostly sold on-the-shelf by people who have no experience. The agrochemical componanies deliver the pesticides to the shops and earn money. So also people without any knowledge and protection can buy and use pesticides and are depended on the knowledge of the sellers, who also have no experience. Even there are many farmers with small farms, it is not measureable where pesticides are used. Agroecology is an alternative.
Gohar: Opportunities for phase out of HHPs policy and legislation for the regulation of pesticides. Must include registration, sale and use of pesticides. To have the successful, there is a need for build up capacities with people working on that and financial resources. And awarenss about use and risks of pesticides have to been risen, as well as alternatives promoted. In Armenia most there are several initiatives which promote pesticides alternatives. But the government does not support the alternatives. Especially agroecology is wide spread in Armenia as informal agricultural production, but there is no strong movement. But the organic farming is quite well developed in Armenia, with a long developing.
Discussion:
There is a strong power of the agrochemical industry. All over the world the companies of this industry have a strong voice. Throughout story telling and agenda setting, they promote their products and badmouth alternatives. In many places they lobbying goes further by funding the regulators. The governments in the global south burden double pressure, as they are also affected by this lobbying and are also put under pressure by governments of the global north, which are supporting companies which are based by them. To break free from all the dependencies and to reach food sovereignty there is a need to act on several levels. On the one hand on a local and national level. Agroecology must be promoted under farmers and also under consumers. For that knowledge must be gained and share by workshops, regional agroecological products must be contributed on a local level and farmers need to be sure to have safety for their production and must know about their benefits. On the other hand, we must raise activities on a global level for a global treaty to phase out HHPs. While existing conventions as the Stockholm and Rotterdam Convention just address a small number of substances, a dedicated treaty on HHPs focus on a whole group if substances and could be more effective. Also this treaty addresses double standards, focuses on pesticides throughout the entire life cycle and promotes alternatives.