tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4842454306640425642024-03-19T11:39:45.625+08:00PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (PAN AP)One of the five regional centres of PANPAN Asia and the Pacifichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15805228309045896449noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-10573308026297763472015-07-01T19:23:00.000+08:002015-07-01T19:23:59.012+08:002015 Conference of the Parties in Geneva failed to place some highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) under its global watch
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;">By Chela Vázquez<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">At 3:45 am Saturday, 16 May 2015 the Conference
Of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel (COP 12), Rotterdam (COP 7) and Stockholm (COP
7)<span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://synergies.pops.int/"><span style="color: blue;">Conventions</span></a><span style="color: red;"> </span>officially closed in Geneva, Switzerland following
two weeks of intense negotiations and several hours after the Triple COPs, as
they are known, were scheduled to end on Friday. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">I among almost 1,200 participants, composed
of government delegates and observers from 171 countries, followed the
negotiations on regulations of hazardous chemicals and waste. Many of us were
hopeful that more hazardous chemicals would be placed under the global watch of
the conventions, particularly the <a href="http://chm.pops.int/default.aspx"><span style="color: blue;">Stockholm</span></a>
and <a href="http://www.pic.int/"><span style="color: blue;">Rotterdam</span></a> Conventions that regulate the toxic
chemicals listed in their Annexes, bearing in mind that the primary objective
of the conventions is to protect human health and the environment. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">However, the conventions operate largely by
consensus among the parties, and just one party can prevent the listing of additional
substances to the conventions. As it turned out, some countries opposing new
listings of toxic substances did not offer a justification in accordance with
the objectives of the conventions. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">COP 7 Stockholm Convention resorted to majority vote
to list pentachlorophenol, an HHP used for wood preservation<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">At COP 7 of the Stockholm Convention, which
targets persistent organic pollutants (POPs) for global elimination,<span style="color: red;"> </span>India opposed the addition of the pesticide pentachlorophenol
(PCP) to the convention’ list and questioned the recommendation for listing made
by the POPs Review Committee (<a href="http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/POPsReviewCommittee/OverviewandMandate/tabid/2806/Default.aspx"><span style="color: blue;">POPRC</span></a>),
the scientific body of the convention. By the end of the second week after
talks had been exhausted, COP 7 resorted to a vote, the first time in the
convention’s history, and decided to list PCP and its salts and esters to Annex
A of the convention with a time-limited exemption for utility poles and
crossarms. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">PCP is a ubiquitous global contaminant that
has been found in breast milk, blood, amniotic fluid, and other human tissues
throughout the world, including Indigenous peoples of the Arctic. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is associated with increased risk of certain
cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #222222; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">COP 7 of the Stockholm Convention also agreed
to list the industrial <a href="http://www.brsmeas.org/Implementation/MediaResources/PressReleases/2015TripleCOPsdrewtoaclose/tabid/4514/language/en-US/Default.aspx"><span style="color: blue;">chemicals</span></a>
hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) to Annex A without exemptions, and polychlorinated
naphtalenes (PCNs) to Annex A with a time-limited exemption for use as
intermediates in the production of polyfluorinated naphtalenes, including
octafluoronaphtalene.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">COP 7 of the Rotterdam Convention failed to reach an
agreement to apply international trade regulations to dangerous pesticides <o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Of the pesticides proposed for listing at
COP 7 only methamidophos was added in Annex III to the <a href="http://www.pic.int/"><span style="color: blue;">Rotterdam Convention</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><u><span style="color: blue;">,</span></u></span>
which regulates trade of hazardous chemicals on the principle of Prior Informed
Consent <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">In addition, parties deliberated on the listing
of the formulation fenthion ultra-low volume (ULV) at or above 640 g active
ingredient/L as a Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulation (SHPF), the
herbicide paraquat dichloride 276 g/L as SHPF, and the active ingredient trichlorfon.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Sudan
opposed the listing of fenthion<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Sudan’s government representative said that
adding fenthion to the Rotterdam Convention could decrease production of the
chemical and increase market prices. Fenthion is used in Sudan to kill
migratory birds that eat crops, such as millet and sorghum. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Other Sahel countries in the region having
the same problem are opting for gentler solutions. <span style="color: black;">Mr.
Moussa Abderaman Abdoulaye, Chad’s delegate to the Rotterdam Convention said: “Fenthion
was used in Chad until 2011 to combat birds that eat cereals from farms.
However, the human health and environmental costs were enormous. Chad banned
it, began raising awareness on the toxicity of fenthion and promoting the use
of nets to trap birds that are also edible. The use of the nets do not threaten
the bird population, it provides food to rural communities, and a source of
protein and income.”</span><span style="color: red;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: red;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">The proposal to add fenthion in Annex III
to the Rotterdam Convention was initially proposed by the Republic of Chad and later
reviewed and recommended for listing by the Chemical Review Committee (<a href="http://www.pic.int/TheConvention/ChemicalReviewCommittee/OverviewandMandate/tabid/1059/language/en-US/Default.aspx"><span style="color: blue;">CRC</span></a>)
of the Convention. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">India,
Guatemala, Indonesia, and Paraguay opposed the listing of paraquat dichloride<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">For the second time, paraquat dichloride
276 g/L was <a href="http://www.panap.net/campaigns/hhps/international-instruments/cops/2015/post/2593"><span style="color: blue;">blocked</span></a>
from being listed as a SHPF to the Rotterdam Convention. The countries <a href="http://panasiapacific.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">opposing</span></a> the listing were India,
Guatemala, Indonesia and Paraguay.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.iuf.org/w/?q=node/4218"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">Baskut Tuncak</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, the UN Special
Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances said “it is legally and
morally unjustifiable for countries to continue to obstruct the listing of
asbestos and paraquat under the Rotterdam Convention.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Two years earlier, at <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat/1506"><span style="color: blue;">COP 6
in 2013</span></a> India and Guatemala, both manufacturers of paraquat formulations, blocked
this substance from being added to the convention. Guatemala expressed at COP 6
that listing paraquat would affect its exports in the region because countries could
take action and stop imports of this toxic chemical. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Burkina
Faso initially proposed that paraquat dichloride as SHPF be added to the
Rotterdam Convention because of the harm to human health and the environment
reported in the country. The CRC reviewed the proposal and </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.pic.int/TheConvention/Chemicals/Recommendedforlisting/Paraquatdichloride/tabid/2396/language/en-US/Default.aspx"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">recommended</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> it for listing to
the COP. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The active ingredient Trichlorfon
was not added to the Rotterdam Convention<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
listing of the pesticide trichorfon to the Rotterdam Convention was blocked by
India. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Also,
the industrial chemical chrysotile asbestos, used to make rooftops in many
developing countries, for the 5<sup>th</sup> time was blocked from being listed
to the Rotterdam Convention. Belarus, Cuba, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Pakistan, Russia, and Zimbabwe opposed the listing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention is at stake<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Parties
and observers attending the COPs questioned the effectiveness of the Rotterdam
Convention, whose mission has been undermined by seemingly commercial interests.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Malaysia’s
Ms. Fatimah Md. Anwar from the Pesticides Control Division of the Dept. of
Agriculture said “We question the effectiveness of the convention if
considerations of trade, availability of pesticides and market pricing
supersedes the importance of information sharing.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Also, the undue pressure from the industry
was reported by Ecuador who asked that the meeting report reflect its
declaration that it has been approached by private sector representatives
seeking to persuade countries to oppose listing (re paraquat dichloride), which
was “unacceptable.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hopes
for listing additional hazardous chemicals <o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">On the promising side, COP 7 of the
Rotterdam Convention decided to establish an <a href="http://synergies.pops.int/Implementation/MediaResources/PressReleases/2015TripleCOPsdrewtoaclose/tabid/4514/language/en-US/Default.aspx"><span style="color: blue;">inter-sessional</span></a>
working group to review the cases where consensus on the listing of chemicals
was not achieved and to come up with a proposal to improve the effectiveness of
the convention. COP 8 in 2017 will decide on the options developed by the inter-sessional
working group. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Parties requested technical assistance and
support to identify alternatives to HHPs. Dr. Meriel Watts from Pesticide
Action Network said “This offers an opportunity for countries to implement
agroecological approaches and promote sustainable agriculture and rural
development.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Overall the 2015 Triple COPs adopted over <a href="http://larc.iisd.org/news/brs-cops-adopt-over-50-decisions/"><span style="color: blue;">50 decisions</span></a>
and agreed to convene the next round of chemicals and waste COPs, with a high
level segment, in 2017.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US">********</span>Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-25960297066853671232015-05-26T20:09:00.000+08:002015-05-26T22:54:07.301+08:00International measures to control Paraquat, once again derailed<style>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By Chela Vázquez</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx3qNt6pT3Ey6yL9B_a45-0Hsi4qoWfJIV-CVTgMBqeNiUWcpC1H8S1Pr8CJPO-823mBB4dJMkPEBOXJwhViXQMwq7wuWZ7DQZLFtdVS8ZiwR6me6C3TEFIRh8AkvvScnTgFYzfHUhUM/s1600/IMG_0753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx3qNt6pT3Ey6yL9B_a45-0Hsi4qoWfJIV-CVTgMBqeNiUWcpC1H8S1Pr8CJPO-823mBB4dJMkPEBOXJwhViXQMwq7wuWZ7DQZLFtdVS8ZiwR6me6C3TEFIRh8AkvvScnTgFYzfHUhUM/s640/IMG_0753.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The enforcement of
an international mechanism for Prior Informed Consent when trading with a
dangerous herbicide, paraquat dichloride, was blocked by India, Guatemala, and Indonesia at the <a href="http://synergies.pops.int/">7<sup>th</sup> Conference of the Parties</a>
to the Rotterdam Convention. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“People in Africa
have felt the impact of paraquat dichloride and have paid dearly with their
health and lives. This acutely toxic chemical impairs people for life. Listing
paraquat dichloride 20% and above in the Rotterdam Convention would empower
governments in the exercise of their duty to protect human health and the
environment” said Dr. Paul Windinpsidi Savadogo, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Director General of the
Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">of
Burkina Faso. He added “This is a missed opportunity and it is regrettable that
a few countries prevented the majority from being able to take measures to
protect human health, particularly of farmers and agricultural workers, who are
the most exposed with this chemical.”</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In 2010 Burkina
Faso proposed adding the herbicide paraquat dichloride 20% to the Rotterdam
Convention in order to have information about potential imports of this
herbicide and take pertinent measures, which could include placing restrictions
or banning. Burkina Faso reported serious health impacts linked to this
chemical among farmers. The scientific body of the Rotterdam Convention
reviewed <a href="http://www.pic.int/TheConvention/Chemicals/Recommendedforlisting/Paraquatdichloride/tabid/2396/language/en-US/Default.aspx">Burkina
Faso’s proposal</a> and recommended the inclusion of paraquat dichloride to the
convention. <span style="color: red;"></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Paraquat dichloride, an acutely toxic chemical</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Omara Amuko, based
in Uganda, from the International Union of Food and Allied Workers Africa said <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Paraquat dichloride has caused serious harm
to farmers and agricultural workers in Africa. This chemicals needs to be under
the scrutiny of governments, already CILSS countries have prohibited the use of
paraquat in the region.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Permanent
Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS for its acronym in
French) banned paraquat in 2011. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Paraquat dichloride
is an acutely toxic chemical that is used under high risk conditions in
developing countries. In India for instance, its use poses great health risks
to farmers and workers” said C. Jayakumar from PAN India. </span>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jayakumar was
referring to a new <a href="http://issuu.com/erklaerungvbern/docs/evb_paraquat_en_4-15_v04?e=3524425/12444816">report</a>
from India by PAN India and other groups that documented paraquat dichloride being
sold in plastic carrying bags, mixed with other ingredients such as shampoo, and
applied with leaking knapsack sprayers on crops where its use has not been
approved. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“The use of
paraquat is not allowed in Switzerland, the European Union and many other
countries” said Francois Meienberg from the <a href="https://www.bernedeclaration.ch/companiesinstitutions/syngenta/paraquat/">Berne</a>
Declaration. He added “Syngenta, the creator and main seller of paraquat,
currently makes profits from its sales to developing countries, knowing that
farmers and workers have no possibility to protect themselves adequately which
leads to high risk conditions of use and uncounted poisoning cases.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 16.0pt;">India and Guatemala again blocked the inclusion of
paraquat dichloride to the Rotterdam Convention</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The Conference of
the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions met in in
Geneva on <a href="http://synergies.pops.int/">May 4-15, 2015</a> and
deliberated on the listing of new hazardous chemicals to the conventions. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Paraquat
dichloride 20% and above was on the Rotterdam COP 7 agenda two years after <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat/1506">COP 6
in 2013</a> failed to reach an agreement on its inclusion </span>
to the
convention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similar to COP 6, at COP 7, <a href="http://www.panap.net/campaigns/hhps/international-instruments/cops/2015/post/2593">India
and Guatemala</a> obstructed the inclusion of paraquat dichloride to the
convention. This time, Indonesia also joined them. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Most governments at
COP 7 of the Rotterdam Convention were in favor of adding this highly hazardous
pesticide to the Convention. The Prior Informed Consent procedure of the Convention
would allow governments to exchange information and more effectively control
the use of this chemical in order to protect the health of their most
vulnerable citizens. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Many government delegates attending the meeting in Geneva took
the floor to express concern that a handful of governments using the consensus
procedure under the convention prevented other countries from their right to
having information on trade of hazardous chemicals. They called for urgent
review of the rules of the Rotterdam Convention. </span>
Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-20372011733037755972015-04-19T11:40:00.000+08:002015-04-19T11:40:07.216+08:00Monsanto’s popular herbicide, glyphosate, linked to cancer and antibiotic resistance
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">By Chela Vázquez</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_PymVJgmfIvZTMfEDgU1BcfhGbl6ysicO9cRdPnneO7De7firJ0Sunx3c7hi3aZoGqdfFZKaFDhjI7sy22_AHmZuljPD0xh9xIIf4g3H0pbm812XdOVKfdLtMqgfRvfc1oKrCh5IZyc/s1600/IMG_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_PymVJgmfIvZTMfEDgU1BcfhGbl6ysicO9cRdPnneO7De7firJ0Sunx3c7hi3aZoGqdfFZKaFDhjI7sy22_AHmZuljPD0xh9xIIf4g3H0pbm812XdOVKfdLtMqgfRvfc1oKrCh5IZyc/s1600/IMG_0278.JPG" height="222" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The world is scrutinizing Monsanto’s popular weed killer, glyphosate,
classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the cancer arm branch of the
World Health Organization (WHO). <span style="color: red;"></span></span>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On March 20, 2015 seventeen global health experts met at WHO’s
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to discuss years of data
linking glyphosate and cancer in experimental animals, and concluded that it <a href="http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/MonographVolume112.pdf">probably
causes cancer in humans</a> as well. Four other organophosphate insecticides
also were evaluated.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">IARC’s decision on glyphosate came on the heels of a study released by
scientists from New Zealand that linked the herbicides glyphosate, 2,4-D, and
dicamba to <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1503/S00100/herbicides-can-cause-bacterial-antibiotic-resistance.htm">antibiotic
resistance</a> in disease-causing bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella. <span style="color: red;"></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Widespread use of glyphosate
in Asia and around the world</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Glyphosate, also known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Roundup</i>
for its tradename with Monsanto, is the most common and heavily used herbicide
worldwide.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In Asia glyphosate is used in rubber, oil palm, sugar cane, tea, and
hybrid corn plantations. It is also used on soybeans, cotton, rice, and wheat
among other crops. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Monsanto created and marketed glyphosate as Roundup. After Monsanto’s
patent on glyphosate expired in 2000, many agrochemical companies manufacture
it under different commercial names. Over 700 <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/31/us-monsanto-herbicide-weeds-idUSKBN0MR2JT20150331">glyphosate
formulations</a> are used globally.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---13358.htm">China</a>
has become the largest glyphosate supplier in the world, with production over
half a million tons, mostly for export. <span style="color: red;"></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Implications</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">to human health</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Glyphosate is widely used in Asia, often with minimal protection. The
people mostly impacted are farmers, agricultural workers, women and children”
said Sarojeni Rengam from PAN Asia Pacific. “Therefore, the health implications
of carcinogenicity and antibiotic resistance linked to glyphosate are enormous”. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHP0o6oqO94_1Y_5YSeoJ0baL1GrG_4TJ60kCfhJRZEFvq-TVxGd5kdfO3E0OtzuE6-BQZVghREwhMJmDPmp2ZZRvPwe5bKwBhwq7pE4INZ1zkTjAdNZ9ADm-gYpFwVaOcoqrGOgNyBQ/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHP0o6oqO94_1Y_5YSeoJ0baL1GrG_4TJ60kCfhJRZEFvq-TVxGd5kdfO3E0OtzuE6-BQZVghREwhMJmDPmp2ZZRvPwe5bKwBhwq7pE4INZ1zkTjAdNZ9ADm-gYpFwVaOcoqrGOgNyBQ/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In addition to exposure during pesticide spraying, pesticide storage
creates health hazards. For instance, a 2011 field appraisal on the use of
pesticides in <a href="http://www.panap.net/sites/default/files/Illegal-pesticide-trade-in-Lao.pdf">Lao
PDR</a>, PAN Asia Pacific found glyphosate originating from China, in 15 and 30
liter plastic tanks, stored at home in close proximity to cooking and sleeping
facilities. Pesticide shops also sold glyphosate and other pesticides close to
food items. </span>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Governments should take measures to remove this highly hazardous
pesticide from the farming communities. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Increased use of glyphosate
with genetically engineered crops</span></b>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Monsanto also genetically engineered (GE) soybeans, corn, and cotton
resistant to glyphosate, and multiplied its revenues by selling both GE seed
and glyphosate. Monsanto’s US$15.9 billion annual sales are closely tied to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-20/who-classifies-monsanto-s-glyphosate-as-probably-carcinogenic-">glyphosate</a>.
</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Because weeds developed resistance to glyphosate, increasing amounts of
the herbicide are applied in combination with old and dangerous herbicides,
such as 2,4-D, which was used as an ingredient of Agent Orange during the
Vietnam War. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Strong global response is
needed</span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The IARC’s labeling of glyphosate as a probable carcinogen to humans
has sent ripple waves around the world. The United States Environmental
Protection Agency (US EPA), which registers and regulates pesticides for use in
agriculture, has announced that it will require a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/31/us-monsanto-herbicide-weeds-idUSKBN0MR2JT20150331">weed
resistance</a> management plan for glyphosate from Monsanto, which includes
monitoring for weed resistance. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PAN Asia Pacific and PAN International have <a href="http://pan-international.org/release/monsantos-flagship-pesticide-linked-to-cancer-and-antibiotic-resistance-pan-international-calls-for-strong-global-response/">called</a>
on governments to exercise their political will to protect people and the
environment, and have demanded a plan in the next 60 days to address the use of
highly hazardous pesticides and a way to move forward towards sustainable,
healthy methods of agricultural production.</span></div>
Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-67837341287652190902015-03-10T14:05:00.000+08:002015-09-08T21:30:01.731+08:00Cameron Highlands Waters Tainted with Pesticides<style>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By Chela Vázquez</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkKzdD1jeBuXx7GTlXxV6A_bYc890HCrAwtAn5vblFZN65gJvHGv84LGgWaL9rC63H9Rgrn1J02WGvZqSa99sgIORyTi8tq13ZQufW1Vfcpg_SE7dVFrdVIcUAIgy8pFTdz5X9sXCee0/s1600/IMG_0148+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkKzdD1jeBuXx7GTlXxV6A_bYc890HCrAwtAn5vblFZN65gJvHGv84LGgWaL9rC63H9Rgrn1J02WGvZqSa99sgIORyTi8tq13ZQufW1Vfcpg_SE7dVFrdVIcUAIgy8pFTdz5X9sXCee0/s1600/IMG_0148+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Once again Cameron Highlands
in Malaysia takes the stage for the dubious honor of being a highly polluted
place. Here, vegetables are grown for export and for internal consumption
across the country and overseas markets, raising concerns about the safety of
the food produced and consumed in Malaysia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Researchers from University
Kebangsaan Malaysia over a 5-month study, August-December 2014, in Cameron
Highlands of the surface waters of two rivers, Bertam and Terla, and tap water
in the town of Brinchang, have found residues of highly toxic organochlorine pesticides
(OCs). These results were presented at a <a href="http://www.panap.net/campaigns/hhps/children-and-pesticides/2533">seminar</a>
with government officials and the general public in Cameron Highlands on March
6, 2015. A local organization, REACH, and Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific
co-hosted the event. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Potential Health Impacts</span></b>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“The people of Cameron
Highlands have the right to know about poisons present in the water they drink.
Furthermore, consumers in Malaysia must know about pesticide residues found in
their food” said Sarojeni Rengam from PAN Asia Pacific. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The highly toxic pesticide
residues found on surface water and in the drinking water of pipes, sends
alarming signals about the long-term human health impact in Brinchang and other
towns which depend on the same sources for drinking water. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.minddisrupted.org/documents/MD%20Pesticide%20Fact.pdf">OCs</a>
have affinity for fat tissue and are found in most living organisms. Their
ability to adhere to soil particles and affinity to fat tissue facilitate their
long-range transport across the globe. They are infamous for their presence in
places where they have never been produced nor used. In pristine environments
like the Arctic, even the polar bears have OCs in their bodies, and breastmilk
of indigenous women in Alaska contain OC concentrations that are among the
highest in the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">OC chemicals are known for
their adverse health impact at low dose of exposure over log periods of time
because they bioaccumulate inside living organisms. They are known endocrine
disruptors, capable of mimicking hormones such as estrogen. In lab animals and
wildlife exposed to OC chemicals, birth defects, behavioral abnormalities,
impaired fertility have been observed in the offspring of parents exposed to
these chemicals, indicating hormonal disruption during prenatal development.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Illegal Pesticides</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJsfGf7O0fD1ZnkjMd3j4P6j3WHsjs7G060g3qVadU4vhC_Yi4jreN7vBsPlViMl335eDJbf2o8S04t29nQzrnEhHXV-J1qBBG9bkhv1jIx1BFtqnB4Brt7-oEYbuonGHZ6KMFhTZY1M/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJsfGf7O0fD1ZnkjMd3j4P6j3WHsjs7G060g3qVadU4vhC_Yi4jreN7vBsPlViMl335eDJbf2o8S04t29nQzrnEhHXV-J1qBBG9bkhv1jIx1BFtqnB4Brt7-oEYbuonGHZ6KMFhTZY1M/s1600/IMG_0064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Most of the pesticide
residues were breakdown products belonging to the insecticides endosulfan,
aldrin, methoxychlor, eldrin, lindane, DDT, and heptachlor oxide, which have
been banned in Malaysia years ago. OC chemicals are persistent and adhere to
soil particles, therefore their presence in water might originate from their leaching
out of the soil. However, the presence of undegraded endosulfan II in water,
suggests application of this insecticide on agricultural fields around a year
ago.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoexaKqTpg-KnDcz9FbYxWrtHzDJy1alPHVUhnRsSWR8fVwnsr5Yrv2qQIlxy5YbleZTzNRyHBLktK4A5tj_F0TDwet_tpkRcXw-L_SmY_1GND323aYNwPi0gj4M57GAy2gJjPUrnCpY/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoexaKqTpg-KnDcz9FbYxWrtHzDJy1alPHVUhnRsSWR8fVwnsr5Yrv2qQIlxy5YbleZTzNRyHBLktK4A5tj_F0TDwet_tpkRcXw-L_SmY_1GND323aYNwPi0gj4M57GAy2gJjPUrnCpY/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG" width="179" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">At the meeting in Cameron
Highlands, Mr. Rama from REACH, presented to the press several illegal
pesticides, that ranged from labels in foreign language, repackaged pesticides
sold in bags with poor labeling, and methomyl, an insecticide classified by the
World Health Organization as class 1 because of its high toxicity. Methomyl has
never been registered in Malaysia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This study only measured OC
pesticides in water. It did not test for the presence of organophophorus
compounds, carbamates, pyrethroids, fungicides, and toxic herbicides, which are
also known to be in high use in Cameron Highlands. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Further Research and Action are needed</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The OC findings in Cameron
Highlands’ waters point to the need to obtain more information on the presence
of pesticide residues in water and also on food. This would be an exercise on
the public Right to Know on matters that affect their health and particularly
the development of young children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Regarding the presence of
illegal toxic pesticides, it calls for urgent action to prevent further
poisoning the environment and endangering human health. Additionally,
monitoring of human health, particularly of agricultural workers and farmers is
needed. Finally, implementing policies to assist farmers to move towards safer ecological
methods in agriculture, free of toxic chemicals, would be crucial to protect
human health and the environment. </span></div>
Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-73534096312409390652014-11-17T16:30:00.003+08:002014-11-17T16:30:49.507+08:00The Future of Poisoned Children (Poem)<div class="MsoNormal">
By: Romeo F. Quijano, M.D.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Look into the future my friend and see the mass of poisoned children</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Born into the muck of apathy they seem to wander aimlessly</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Brains impaired and bodies made frail insidiously by toxic mists</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Deprived of vision deprived of hope,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>no path to tread nowhere to go.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Look into the food they eat and see the dreg it had become</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Examine the water they drink, not even fit for pets you own</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Pesticides in their springs, wells and rivers, lakes and seas</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Poisons bathing all their farms, rice, vegetables and even sweets.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Wasn't there a global summit as early as 1990,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">For a better future of progeny, political action it has to be?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But where is that promise to create a world fit for children,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Where is that global pledge to protect the rights of every child?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Are there not many institutions, UN bodies, various governments</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Enacting laws and regulations to protect health and environment?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Are there not scientists who know toxic chemicals and the risks?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Aren't there any publication telling the true information?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">All swept away by the avalanche of capitalist greed!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Unleashed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by the brute force of a superpower gone crazy</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Pushed by the ruthless might of agrochemical TNCs,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Vile bureaucrats complicit, children's welfare trumped by profits!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Book into the future, my friend, and join the mass of people rising</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Gather a crowd of enlightened gentry and be a revolutionary!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">No more brains impaired no more bodies made frail by toxic mists</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Vision restored and hope revived, our path is clear, children set free!</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Liberation Serif","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "WenQuanYi Micro Hei"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt; mso-hansi-font-family: "Liberation Serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>---000---</span>PAN Asia and the Pacifichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15805228309045896449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-68449167371522951702014-09-12T11:42:00.000+08:002014-09-30T14:36:02.518+08:00Promoting ecological agriculture<div class="WordSection1">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Promoting
ecological agriculture</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With CPAM creating strong
awareness among farming communities, many of them not only pledged to reduce
pesticide use, but also wanted to move towards farming without chemicals – that
is, towards organic or ecologi-cal agriculture. After the CPAM process, PAN
AP’s partner Vikalpani, the Sri Lankan Women’s Federation, was motivated to
work with PAN AP to organize a series of training workshops on organic farming
for its members, many of whom are now practising organic agriculture in their
home gardens and in their rice fields.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 105%; text-align: justify;">PAN AP has been a strong
advocate for small-farm BEA as a sustainable alternative to the toxic model of
modern agriculture. BEA is also a fundamental component of food sovereignty. It
provides sustainable livelihoods for small farming communities and strengthens
community resilience in coping with climate change. It is one of the Five
Pillars of Rice Wisdom that form the foundation of PAN AP’s Save Our Rice
campaign, launched in 2003. With the global food, financial and climate crises
which emerged in 2008, the importance of BEA in sustaining the food security
and food sover-eignty of small, vulnerable rice communities all over Asia took
on greater urgency. Thus, capacity-building has featured largely in our
activities in recent years as a focus area that contributed significantly
towards community resilience and sustainable development.</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
identified the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) as an impor-tant BEA
technology for sustainable livelihoods. This was because SRI had proven to
reduce production costs while increasing yields and net incomes significantly
in several Asian countries over the past three decades. Two regional workshops
for network partners and farmers from eight Asian countries were organized in
Cambodia and India, with partner organizations <i>Centre d’Etude et de
Développement</i> <i>Agricole Cambodgien </i>(CEDAC) and Kudumbam respectively
acting<i> </i>as trainers due to their expertise in SRI. Another regional
training programme on farmer empowerment, seed breeding and climate change
adaptation using diversified integrated farming systems was organized for
partners and farmers from 11 countries to meet the need for rice communities to
learn to organize themselves, save seeds and adapt to climate change. This
training was conducted by MASIPAG, a farmer-scientist partnership for
development in the Philippines, due to its expertise in the areas of focus.
These were </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 101%;">fundamental areas for the sustainable
development of poor rural communities.</span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvz-hwcDWGHTo3o5EV9VrbqXLE_O7L4uw39s8RsGAXuw8y0Mhuf8DSztu_xShP1qcBZdIZHbhee8nnN-JaH0oxyP2NWDeWZV7Jm8aA2pPOBVfUzZASNDnbStcvwlvbh8I2-jXSYFfOxU/s1600/blog-201409-bea-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvz-hwcDWGHTo3o5EV9VrbqXLE_O7L4uw39s8RsGAXuw8y0Mhuf8DSztu_xShP1qcBZdIZHbhee8nnN-JaH0oxyP2NWDeWZV7Jm8aA2pPOBVfUzZASNDnbStcvwlvbh8I2-jXSYFfOxU/s1600/blog-201409-bea-01.jpg" height="238" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Indigenous
women preparing a nursery bed as part of the BEA training in Sarawak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Having close network
partners with BEA expertise has been very significant and a major strength for
our network. With these partners, we have managed more effectively to meet the
needs of our other network partners and the sectors both we and they serve.
Other than training, such partners have also helped us to develop important
factsheets on BEA and farmer empowerment, which have been translated by network
partners into local languages to strengthen their BEA sustainability
initiatives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We also responded to local
needs for capacity-build-ing in BEA where local communities were found to be
struggling with low yields and incomes. Local indigenous communities in East
Malaysia and small rice farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand, India,
received special hands-on training in BEA and SRI skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All the BEA projects were
very much appreciated by the participants, who said they had gained a lot from
the training and who continue to practise and benefit from their new skills.
Trainees have reported gains such as minimizing pest attacks by using organic
pesticides they have learned to make. They have also achieved improved yields,
better incomes and a more diversified diet (for example from kitchen gardens),
and have even increased their adaptive capacity to climate change. Seed
breeding techniques learned from MASIPAG have been upscaled at the local level
in several countries, including Indonesia, Nepal, Cambodia and India.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">PAN
AP works with marginalized groups to ensure food security and a healthy
environment </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 104%; text-align: justify;">farmer
said of the MASIPAG training: “It widened my vision and knowledge in terms of
the role of local rice seeds for farmers.” Meanwhile, network partners have
shared how these initiatives have helped them build capacity to upscale BEA
initiatives at the local level and empowered local communities to do better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 111%; text-align: justify; text-indent: 8.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 111%; text-align: justify; text-indent: 8.5pt;">The capacity-building activities have facilitated the
upscaling of BEA practices; built BEA skills among farmers, non-governmental
organi-zation (NGO) staff, agricultural extension workers and others; and
supported local action and network building. Collectively, the activities have
significantly contributed to the sustainable human development of small rice
farming communities in various countries in Asia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 105%; text-align: justify; text-indent: 8.5pt;">In 2009, the rice fields of Yunnan, China, were destroyed
by the rice plant hopper and we collaborated with our network partner in
Yunnan, the Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center (PEAC), to address the situation.
A short study was carried out, followed by a cross-country workshop on the
results, involving NGOs, academics, scientists and policymakers from China,
Vietnam, Laos and Burma. In addition, we produced factsheets on the rice plant
hopper and Integrated Pest Management. All these efforts were timely responses
by PAN AP and PEAC to the crisis, to convince agriculturalists and policymakers
that the use of pesticides actually exacerbates rice plant hopper attacks and
is unsustainable, whereas BEA methods are effective and sustainable in dealing
with pests.</span></div>
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PAN Asia and the Pacifichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15805228309045896449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-58403378183354294562014-06-05T02:44:00.002+08:002014-11-17T16:29:36.659+08:00The Future of Poisoned Children <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">By Romeo
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBDyThRsFr1Pdf0Ogn6O0ONyWtynVz5Q8mZmjlH0iOdZZVbIVPkZfaF74nhKby1UBjDcO4DwYSEEI27N3ggpDy3IzIjTy8iSQMunsNPHeh4teDB-XxBmxXya6rDHd8B3w7sx_G_Avo4s/s1600/TreesDavidMay2014+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBDyThRsFr1Pdf0Ogn6O0ONyWtynVz5Q8mZmjlH0iOdZZVbIVPkZfaF74nhKby1UBjDcO4DwYSEEI27N3ggpDy3IzIjTy8iSQMunsNPHeh4teDB-XxBmxXya6rDHd8B3w7sx_G_Avo4s/s1600/TreesDavidMay2014+016.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">My grandson, David, stays in our house 2-3
times a week while his parents are at work. It is my wife who usually does the
babysitting but I often have the chance to do the babysitting myself whenever I
am at home. Despite my many travels abroad and to Mindanao, I get to spend
quite a lot of time with David, enjoying every moment of it - playing, showing
him some simple tricks, singing songs, listening to music on line and dancing
(he's such a good dancer!), playing my mandolin to him, feeding him, assisting
him in the toilet, putting him to sleep, etc, etc. I began to teach him about
healthy diet, organic fruits and vegetables, and the dangers that pesticides
bring to children's health when he was about 3 years old. I even taught him the
scientific names of fruits and vegetables he ate and some medicinal plants. He
is such a fast learner that now his knowledge of science is far advanced of his
age (he is now 5 yrs old) and he now knows the scientific names of at least 20
fruits and vegetables. Whenever I am not home, he always asked my wife where I
was and whenever I come home he hugs me, tells me he missed me and then shows
me his drawings and scribbles about me when I was away, all showing pure love
and affection. He is such a lovable and intelligent kid who would undoubtedly
be a valuable contributor to the society of the near future to which he belongs
and which would be beyond my time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9GKYymfyyABSzu7zo0lChP-bhnqagpBX-1V_xlpkmqJ-NEtGQ5SQgCS-MuMWprTiC4EGj36G15JYJLTNSYOpVIVH8YcQqR6dokrv_RmUzzigjFrD-RIjNJpVDEIviUBEqsiT9PcIhgo/s1600/TreesDavidMay2014+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9GKYymfyyABSzu7zo0lChP-bhnqagpBX-1V_xlpkmqJ-NEtGQ5SQgCS-MuMWprTiC4EGj36G15JYJLTNSYOpVIVH8YcQqR6dokrv_RmUzzigjFrD-RIjNJpVDEIviUBEqsiT9PcIhgo/s1600/TreesDavidMay2014+031.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">When I think about David's future, and the
future of all children, I feel sad and angry but at the same time, deeply
motivated and hopeful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel sad
because I know that despite my best efforts to protect David from toxic
chemicals, he is still exposed to a variety of pesticides and other toxics and
all I could do is try to reduce that exposure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is hardly any person or any place on earth that is left
uncontaminated and not poisoned to some degree. Children are the hardest hit.
The health of children worldwide is</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Liberation Serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Liberation Serif";"> </span><span lang="EN-US">worsening. The incidence rates of developmental abnormalities,
asthma, diabetes, certain cancers and other diseases in children have
increased. This has serious implications for the future wellbeing, not only of
the children, but of the future society as a whole. Pesticides and other toxic
contaminants in</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Liberation Serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Liberation Serif";"> </span><span lang="EN-US">air, water,
and food have emerged as important causal factors. I have personally studied
and observed this unfortunate situation in my 38 years of work in the academe
and in various communities in many countries as a medical professional. In
banana plantation communities in Mindanao, in palm oil plantations in Malaysia,
in a cashew plantation in India, in garbage dump communities in Manila and
Cebu, and in many other areas, I have examined children harmed by pesticides
and other toxic chemicals. In addition, having participated in many
international meetings and negotiations pertaining to toxic chemicals and
related issues at various international fora, my personal experiences were
affirmed by information exchanges and discussions with numerous experts in
toxic chemicals from various governments, international agencies, research and
academic institutions, public interest groups and even from the chemical
industry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I feel angry because big business continue
the irresponsible manufacture and use of highly hazardous pesticides and other
toxics with the complicity of governments, international agencies, corrupt
bureaucrats and prostituted scientists that promote or allow profiteering from
toxic chemicals at the expense of health and environment, putting our
children's future in serious jeopardy. Corporate interests and political
expediency are the dominant considerations influencing regulatory decisions
pertaining to pesticides and other toxic chemicals especially in Third World
countries where socio-political circumstances are conducive for powerful
corporations to exert influence and manipulate public policy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">These mixed feelings of sadness and anger,
however, keeps me deeply motivated to continue fighting to eliminate or at
least restrict, as many as possible, highly hazardous pesticides and other
toxics and to continue supporting community struggles against corporate
aggression in various forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People's
resistance against corporate imposed unsustainable and toxic agriculture is
increasing and offers hope and optimism. Biodiversity-based ecological
agriculture and non-pesticide approaches are being practiced more widely by
tens of thousands of farmers across Asia and other parts of the world. These
farmers and their children not only lead healthier lives but have improved
livelihoods. Landless peasants, consumers and other sectors are organizing
themselves and coming together in broader coalitions to assert food sovereignty
and to resist agrochemical TNCs. Indeed, the growing people's movement against
imperialist imposition and for social liberation is a reason to be optimistic
and to be hopeful that the future of poisoned children may not be so bleak
after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />PAN Asia and the Pacifichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15805228309045896449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-13247938827064952462014-04-24T21:23:00.000+08:002014-05-02T15:49:12.357+08:00Remembering Irene Fernandez<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
By Chela Vázquez</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws5KuqzFLzCem3oiJzzM0B0IUEBHT0TQxaYWj4FZp8s0t-xfqPmdyh_WUkNlBnzYAV-HMiArouiq7tek3MhviIP6w5NQeRsgrgEZJ8fht9zj1G5Wvrrdb7gLXxomSWuVrQk7EJPiAPHw/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiws5KuqzFLzCem3oiJzzM0B0IUEBHT0TQxaYWj4FZp8s0t-xfqPmdyh_WUkNlBnzYAV-HMiArouiq7tek3MhviIP6w5NQeRsgrgEZJ8fht9zj1G5Wvrrdb7gLXxomSWuVrQk7EJPiAPHw/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>I met Irene Fernandez at a PAN International meeting in
Penang, Malaysia at the end of 2007. It was my first meeting with the PAN
global network and the reunion was remarkable for the array of social and
environmental thinkers and activists gathered during three days and the boiling
soup of ideas transforming into plans of action. </div>
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<s><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></s></div>
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The PAN meeting brought together strong community leaders,
and among the women leaders was Irene. In 2007, Irene was going through a
lawsuit, then, in its 13th-year, that was brought against her for a report
exposing human rights abuses and pesticide poisonings of agricultural migrant
workers, particularly of women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had
been sentenced to prison in 2003 and was on bail pending the decision of the
High Court, which later acquitted her. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again in 2012 Irene was investigated for sedition against
the government for her interview to foreign reporters about the deplorable
treatment and conditions of many foreign domestic workers in Malaysia. The
headline of a newspaper article read “Irene fans the fire” in reference to her
statements, which reflected her unequivocal stance in defense of migrant
workers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I worked with Irene and PAN colleagues in the documentation
of PAN International’s Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on agrochemicals that was
held in Bangalore, India in 2011. Our team put together evidence on the impact of
highly hazardous pesticides on agricultural workers, farmers and rural
communities worldwide. Needless to say, our meetings were lively. Endearing
memories of Irene bring back her pointed questions and insistence for a
connection to grassroots communities that our work intended to serve. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Irene's words still echo among us. She would say “..<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it is fundamental that we address the human
rights violations of migrant workers and rural communities affected by these
toxic chemicals and the abuse with impunity by the corporations who manufacture
these products…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
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Indeed Irene had the ability and determination to bring
grassroots concerns into the public consciousness and to generate action. For
over 25 years she worked with plantation workers and had facilitated for women agricultural
workers to speak at international fora to provide first-hand accounts of the
impact of pesticides on themselves and their families. Under her leadership, Tenaganita,
which she served as director, published reports of acute poisonings in the oil
palm plantations and waged an unrelenting campaign to convince companies to
reduce and phase out toxic pesticides, particularly the herbicide paraquat. To
this date, major oil palm plantations have begun to phase out this chemical.</div>
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People remember Irene in many ways. PAN AP staff remembers
her as a motherly figure and adviser, for some she had a tough exterior with a
soft inside, for others she was a dedicated and caring person. Many remember
her as a fighter for the rights of the oppressed. For Saro Rengam, PAN AP’s
director, Irene was her close friend and mentor. Saro said “<i>Irene was
instrumental in the early formation of PAN AP and from then on her influence
was felt in the development of all our programmes.</i>” </div>
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Irene was involved with PAN AP since 1990 and served as its
chair until the end. She chaired PAN AP’s steering council meeting barely three
days before she had a massive heart attack and was hospitalized.</div>
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I will remember Irene as a fearless human rights advocate
faithful to her convictions until the end. At her eulogy, her daughter Katrina remembered
Irene’s words: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Be clear on what you want,
claim your space and use it responsibly</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Irene used her space quite well.</div>
Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-67180696083767010112013-09-19T05:23:00.000+08:002013-09-19T05:42:31.626+08:00Victory in China!<style>
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</style>By Chela Vázquez<br />
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM-nHvHGzwZPtwHvvuBP-apOB2faTWdOzoA7DsEILHXXT4xybJvclv8dG5_Hx1mEVzcrqu1wtgtLG5vh8FYUFplMCDgWqJgbM1jX6e98FZqWYFAcSM-gS3J4u_Sq_iiKdrvOJs4nNXso/s1600/IMG_4539FarmerEndosulfanCottonField-Xinjiang-province300x220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM-nHvHGzwZPtwHvvuBP-apOB2faTWdOzoA7DsEILHXXT4xybJvclv8dG5_Hx1mEVzcrqu1wtgtLG5vh8FYUFplMCDgWqJgbM1jX6e98FZqWYFAcSM-gS3J4u_Sq_iiKdrvOJs4nNXso/s1600/IMG_4539FarmerEndosulfanCottonField-Xinjiang-province300x220.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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</style><i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Farmer applying endosulfan on cotton field in Xinjiang</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> province, China.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> Picture provided by PEAC, Yunnan province, China.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">China has joined the global effort to eliminate <a href="http://www.panna.org/resources/specific-pesticides/endosulfan"><span style="color: blue;">endosulfan</span></a>. This is very good — and very big —
news, since China is both a large user and major producer of this harmful,
longlasting pesticide.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">"We are glad that China's leadership has taken
the right steps in protecting its citizens," says Dou Hong of Pesticide
Eco-Alternative Center (PEAC), a PAN partner group in the Yunnan province. The
12th National People's Congress <a href="http://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/3ChinaApprovesEndosulfanAmendmentStockholm.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">agreed</span></a> to eliminate China's production and use of
endosulfan in late August, when it ratified a global treaty amendment requiring
the ban.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Endosulfan was added to the list of chemicals
slated for a global elimination under the Stockholm Convention back in 2011,
after a powerful push by <a href="http://www.panna.org/node/1786"><span style="color: blue;">PAN partners</span></a> around the world. The antiquated
pesticide is highly toxic to humans and most other organisms, and can persist
for years — even decades — in the environment.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Toward endosulfan-free cotton & tea</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">China began producing <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18769949"><span style="color: blue;">endosulfan</span></a>
in 1994, with at least three companies manufacturing the active ingredient and
about 40 more formulating endosulfan products. The pesticide was initially
applied mainly in cotton fields, but by 1998 its use had extended to tea,
wheat, tobacco, apples, and other fruits.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">More than <a href="http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/13557/InTech-Endosulfan_in_china_usage_emissions_and_residues.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">25,000 tons of endosulfan</span></a> were used on Chinese
crops between 1994 and 2004.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">China officially banned endosulfan use on <a href="http://www.moa.gov.cn/zwllm/tzgg/gg/201107/t20110705_2045813.htm"><span style="color: blue;">tea and apples</span></a> in 2011, but a few months ago the
pesticide was found in <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/news/blog/pesticide-pollution-chinese-tea-may-not-be-sa/blog/39936/"><span style="color: blue;">11 out of 18 tea products</span></a> sampled. The residue on
tea leaves has raised major concerns; drinking tea is an important part of
Chinese culture and most people consume several cups a day. China is also a
major tea exporter.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Farewell to a very bad actor</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">China's recent action represents a tremendous step in the right direction.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">National data on <a href="http://www.panchina.org/en_Country/show/29.aspx"><span style="color: blue;">endosulfan
poisonings</span></a> are hard to verify, but between 1999 to 2007 PEAC
recorded 77 cases, of which 32 were fatal. Also, the National Poison Control
Center of China has recorded 90 poisoning incidents from 2001 to 2003 including
nine deaths.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The chemical can be harmful when in contact with
the skin, by inhalation, and by ingestion. Severe poisonings in the state of <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-cpam/234"><span style="color: blue;">Kerala, India</span></a> have been linked to crippling
disabilities in rural families.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Dou Hong emphasizes the importance of the
government's recent decision to the people of China:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">“Farmers, agricultural workers, and rural
communities will be spared from this toxic chemical that is on record for
poisoning people and the environment. Safe alternatives to endosulfan exist and
we must make every effort to produce food that is healthy and that no one is
harmed in its production.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Endosulfan is one of the <a href="http://www.pan-germany.org/download/PAN_HHP-List_1306.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">highly hazardous pesticides</span></a> PAN International has
targeted for global action. China's recent action represents a tremendous step
in the right direction.</span></div>
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Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-60855715969426626872013-08-07T10:09:00.000+08:002013-08-12T13:43:14.459+08:00Women farmers in Asia speak out<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>By
Marjo Busto</b></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPyoilBlYaToAucF_BWMFx3rUEsyarHKfZKMt-yJqXwOJS7Vu8Dh7mr_pBGts2rpZL_j_iT2jajYdF-jG1fy08S__V3Pc3q_zrLrZ3A4NEgbTvCpAp7SCA6Sp708wdcT-RQb9ir_2-Lg/s1600/women-farmers-speak-out-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPyoilBlYaToAucF_BWMFx3rUEsyarHKfZKMt-yJqXwOJS7Vu8Dh7mr_pBGts2rpZL_j_iT2jajYdF-jG1fy08S__V3Pc3q_zrLrZ3A4NEgbTvCpAp7SCA6Sp708wdcT-RQb9ir_2-Lg/s1600/women-farmers-speak-out-1.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Every day, rural women in Asia face mounting
challenges caused by an increasingly broken system of food and agriculture.
High food prices, low income, land grabbing, climate change and decreasing
control over seeds mark the experiences of the women farmers who grow much of
the region's food.</span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Our Stories, One Journey: Empowering Rural Women in
Asia</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> is a <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/wia/page/women-in-agriculture-our-stories-one-journey/1490" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">traveling journal</span></a>,
recording the thoughts of eight rural women for 10 days in eight different
countries. The women write, draw and compose poetry and songs. Their message is
simple: help transform agriculture into a more equitable, fair and sustainable
system.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The project is a joint collaboration of <a href="http://www.panap.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">PAN Asia
Pacific</span></a> (PAN AP), the Asian Rural Women's Coalition and Oxfam's GROW
campaign. The journal started in the Philippines, and from there it went to
Indonesia, China, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It is now headed to
Vietnam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><b>Powerful voices</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">We at PAN AP believe this is a powerful medium for
the voices of rural women to be heard by those who shape national and
international policies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Entries are written in local languages, and will be
translated and exhibited at our PAN AP Congress in September. It will then be
shared during the <a href="http://www.fao.org/home/en/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">FAO meeting</span></a> on World Food Security in October
2013.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few brief excerpts and images from the
stories that will be told.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK1e_lx4gngHPIOZmP3BI3Fun0zE3IaQ-IfnfKp-4cpmCMkjXZdajJGrcOIsY0EdWYpq15a-RlFDoGDdK_s7eNc1BtX8yhalT63bmx2algU-DpLiFXqVNVdxqmrxa1QGhBQ4npmD66Dc/s1600/women-farmers-speak-out-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK1e_lx4gngHPIOZmP3BI3Fun0zE3IaQ-IfnfKp-4cpmCMkjXZdajJGrcOIsY0EdWYpq15a-RlFDoGDdK_s7eNc1BtX8yhalT63bmx2algU-DpLiFXqVNVdxqmrxa1QGhBQ4npmD66Dc/s1600/women-farmers-speak-out-2.jpg" /></a></div>
<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Cambodia:</span></strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Chey Siyat, a woman farmer
and mother of five from Damnak Kantourt in Kampot province writes:</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>“In
my community, the livelihood of people depends mainly on agriculture including
rice, vegetables, fruit trees and livestock farming, which is the main source
of household income.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
Philippines: </span></strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Margarita
(Margie) Tagapan Margie is a member of the National Federation of Peasant Women
in the Philippines (Amihan) and runs the Amihan cooperative grain store. She
farms in Montalban, Rizal, at the foot of the Sierra Madre on Luzon island. She
writes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>“I
can say that I am a woman/mother who likes to work on the land. I have a
passion for planting various kinds of vegetables.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">China:</span></strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Li Zizhen is passionate
about preserving the culture of her Bai ethnic people through dance and song,
and is also a farmer who actively promotes ecological agriculture. She
describes a typical day on the farm:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>“Eight
o’clock in the morning picked garlic in the fields. Two o’clock in the
afternoon, returned home to eat lunch. Five o’clock in the afternoon, went out
to sell garlic, and thought of October 2012 when I had planted it in the
fields. Today picking garlic, time flew. The price of garlic this year is
better than last year’s 9 yuan per kilo [$1.40 USD]."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJmBDgK16dLWl475SDxMvuibMKpq27ez-D-eu-giZA6GOoRnedXlBjbm8sFc0F9DeKfO63DbSU8ajBZILiRWzU3WPEkyQr7EQsb5MKLL65CLZkZ7DulnzVlcF-k3bSyKz5a4AcC2SR0s/s1600/women-farmers-speak-out-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJmBDgK16dLWl475SDxMvuibMKpq27ez-D-eu-giZA6GOoRnedXlBjbm8sFc0F9DeKfO63DbSU8ajBZILiRWzU3WPEkyQr7EQsb5MKLL65CLZkZ7DulnzVlcF-k3bSyKz5a4AcC2SR0s/s1600/women-farmers-speak-out-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Indonesia:</span></strong><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> A mother of four, Suryati,
farms in an agrarian community in Pangalengan, West Java. She writes that
Pangalengan used to be a fertile and productive land enjoyed by its tillers.
Today, the majority of the lands are controlled by only a few companies
involved in tea production, forestry, mining and horticulture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>“Without
land we cannot produce food. That’s why genuine land reform has to be done.”</i></span></div>
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<em><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: x-small;">Marjo
Busto works for PAN Asia-Pacific's Women in Agriculture program, and for the
Secretariat to the Asian Rural Women's Coalition (ARWC). The Travelling Journal
is one of the projects she coordinates to highlight rural women's concerns
related to food and agriculture.</span></em><em><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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PAN Asia and the Pacifichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15805228309045896449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-54515537124572284512013-05-05T00:19:00.000+08:002013-05-07T15:57:37.477+08:00COP 6 Stockholm Convention, Headway achieved – ecosystem based approaches to pest management made priority<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">May 2, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14.5pt;">Chela Vázquez</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFUp-Ot5D-FAcCuIB-AbzBnVMGTD-NnCNPbatgb_gkO6rOtqg_y0LffsaAZ2SMV-_GSwlhPkSz_0R3XZVNkvMk6OW0nN7pAZ1zb9y6f2a8T2NxIiRS2ShO02XCNZYhBe19kRmkLXVMbc/s1600/IMG_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFUp-Ot5D-FAcCuIB-AbzBnVMGTD-NnCNPbatgb_gkO6rOtqg_y0LffsaAZ2SMV-_GSwlhPkSz_0R3XZVNkvMk6OW0nN7pAZ1zb9y6f2a8T2NxIiRS2ShO02XCNZYhBe19kRmkLXVMbc/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Government delegates and observers at ExCOPs-2, Geneva</span></td></tr>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was rather an
exhilarating moment when the delegation from PAN and IPEN witnessed <a href="http://synergies.pops.int/2013COPsExCOPs/Overview/tabid/2914/mctl/ViewDetails/EventModID/9163/EventID/297/xmid/9411/language/en-US/Default.aspx" target="_blank">164 governments</a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">agreed that ecosystem-based approaches to pest management be
made a priority. Governments recommended this approach when choosing
alternatives to <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides/691">endosulfan</a>,
a dangerous insecticide targeted for global elimination. This pronouncement
appears to signal that international policies may start to change as
governments begin to take action to rid agriculture of toxic chemicals.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“This is a great
move forward”, said <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-campaigns-endosulfan/1502">Dr.
Meriel Watts</a> of Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific.
“Ecosystem-based approaches to pest management have been shown to improve
farmers’ income, food security and health, and to be better for the
environment. Farmers become less reliant on expensive inputs and their
production systems are more resilient in the face of climate change and other
stressors. So this decision is very supportive of farmers, and we call on all
governments to now rapidly assist their farmers to change from
endosulfan-dependent chemical intensive farming to ecosystem-based approaches
such as agroecology and organic farming.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1OjDIW0jkFk2RD7tTopHHbYzpUJOjZKg-IniSYcAS1oFc1sk3bvaDJlXLQeFz-doQ9wp9gwrtp471oeHVc5d6MJuuZelI9rY3oOTVbI3vazMsJIA8NTYEhaUBuIjR7f1Pw_UP3rGrVg/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1OjDIW0jkFk2RD7tTopHHbYzpUJOjZKg-IniSYcAS1oFc1sk3bvaDJlXLQeFz-doQ9wp9gwrtp471oeHVc5d6MJuuZelI9rY3oOTVbI3vazMsJIA8NTYEhaUBuIjR7f1Pw_UP3rGrVg/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dr.
Meriel Watts delivered a statement on ecosystem-based alternatives to endosulfan</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLh8hilHaWPg5YQaYpQn56T1MsAGnPFVaJK77H0WM7Fz-FgHytmAIlMjbFxlOIVZovJX_jLQjiYcdcfgZy5oucbOfL5ADINR7Bzhkt2re1IK5pOlxO8xZCaUqZc0Uo-bEblUASyDzWxQ/s1600/IMG_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLh8hilHaWPg5YQaYpQn56T1MsAGnPFVaJK77H0WM7Fz-FgHytmAIlMjbFxlOIVZovJX_jLQjiYcdcfgZy5oucbOfL5ADINR7Bzhkt2re1IK5pOlxO8xZCaUqZc0Uo-bEblUASyDzWxQ/s320/IMG_0125.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white; color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tiffany
Immingan from Saint Laurence island in Alaska making a statement at COP 6 of
the Stockholm Convention.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Indigenous
people from the Arctic pleaded with governments to stop releasing toxic <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/page/pesticides-international-instruments/44">persistent
organic pollutants</a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(POPs) that reach their traditional food and endanger their
way of life. People in the Arctic have been found to have the highest
concentration of POPs in their blood and breastmilk. POPs, such as <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides/691">endosulfan</a> and DDT,
bioaccumulate in high quantities in the Arctic due to a global phenomenon that
carry and deposit these toxic chemicals in the Arctic, thousands of miles away
from the place of application. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The 6th. conference
of the Parties (COP 6) to the Stockholm Convention met in Geneva, in
simultaneous and back to back meetings with COP 11 of the Basel Convention and
COP 6 of the Rotterdam Convention, <a href="http://synergies.pops.int/2013COPsExCOPs/Overview/tabid/2914/mctl/ViewDetails/EventModID/9163/EventID/297/xmid/9411/language/en-US/Default.aspx">April
28-May 10, 2013</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">New persistent
organic pollutants have been ‘virtually’ approved for listing in the convention
(awaiting official adoption on Thursday), such as the flame retardant HBCD and
a proposed recycling exemption for HBCD was rejected. These are victories
in the struggle to protect human health and the environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-21483018585396091152013-05-03T16:56:00.000+08:002013-05-07T18:11:00.809+08:00Syngenta’s paraquat up for global review<style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8SfB8XBtW5qenP-iYynA2NsEO9-Wi64s1Du8mrfGohqVyfskG9txQWukTjIGS16F8IdvTWyRl4VPJAKx3ESmItkl4GN3HJv7EkRYwo9W0C149-tEydlT4RcRRwaVrPhg7uLX0v41f4E/s1600/FemaleWorkerSprayingParaquatChina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8SfB8XBtW5qenP-iYynA2NsEO9-Wi64s1Du8mrfGohqVyfskG9txQWukTjIGS16F8IdvTWyRl4VPJAKx3ESmItkl4GN3HJv7EkRYwo9W0C149-tEydlT4RcRRwaVrPhg7uLX0v41f4E/s320/FemaleWorkerSprayingParaquatChina.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Woman
worker spraying paraquat in a banana plantation in China. Picture provided by
the Pesticide Eco-Alternative Center, Yunnan, China.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span>Next week, governments from around the world will decide whether to put
strict controls on Syngenta's highly toxic herbicide paraquat — or maintain the
status quo.</div>
<br />
This pesticide has long been <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-info-database/734" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.panap\.net\/en\/p\/post\/pesticides-info-database\/734\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">banned in its country of origin</span></span></a>, Switzerland,
and its use is highly restricted in most industrialized nations, including the
U.S. Yet it continues to be sold indiscriminately in developing countries where
farmers and workers often cannot read technical labels and are unable to
protect themselves from the pesticide's harmful effects.<br />
<br />
Next week's decision could change all of this, as delegates to the Rotterdam
Convention on Prior Informed Consent — a global treaty governing trade in toxic
chemicals — meet in Geneva. In an <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat/1489" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.panap\.net\/en\/p\/post\/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat\/1489\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">open letter</span></span></a> to these government officials,
groups around the world insist on global controls on this acutely toxic
herbicide that is hurting thousands of peasants and farmers in the developing
world.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prior informed consent</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></h3>
The <a href="http://www.pic.int/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.pic\.int\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Rotterdam Convention</span></span></a> dictates that countries
be informed before importing toxic chemicals that have been banned in other
countries. Countries can then take action and ban the import and use of the
chemical, or impose strict restrictions.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/page/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat/42" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.panap\.net\/en\/p\/page\/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat\/42\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Paraquat</span></span></a> (and specifically the paraquat
dichloride 20% formulation, also known as Gramoxone Super) was <a href="http://www.panna.org/blog/report-rome-paraquat-inches-closer-global-phaseout2">proposed
for inclusion</a> on the "Prior Informed Consent" list by Burkina
Faso; this proposal will be considered behind closed doors at next week's
meeting.<br />
<br />
The open letter, signed by 89 organizations from 35 countries and led by PAN
International and our partners at the <a href="http://www.evb.ch/en/p25001300.html" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.evb\.ch\/en\/p25001300\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">Berne Declaration</span></span></a>, urges governments to rise
to the occasion and <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat/1489" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.panap\.net\/en\/p\/post\/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat\/1489\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">take action</span></span></a> on paraquat. It highlights the importance
of the decision, especially in developing countries:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Paraquat is a highly hazardous herbicide, with no antidote, responsible for
causing deaths and severe injuries to agricultural workers, farmers, and rural
communities worldwide.</i></div>
<br />
Many very poor people, especially in Asia and Latin America, have
experienced <a href="http://www.evb.ch/en/p10285.html" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.evb\.ch\/en\/p10285\.html\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">severe health harms</span></span></a>, and some have even died
from <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/page/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat/921" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.panap\.net\/en\/p\/page\/pesticides-campaigns-paraquat\/921\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">exposure to paraquat</span></span></a>. The herbicide is used to
kill weeds in oil <a href="http://www.panna.org/blog/stop-paraquat-palm-plantations">palm
plantations</a>, as well as in rubber, bananas, coffee, pineapples, rice, corn,
and other crops.<br />
<br />
Documented <a href="http://www.panap.net/en/p/post/pesticides-info-database/518" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.panap\.net\/en\/p\/post\/pesticides-info-database\/518\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">health effects</span></span></a> of exposure to the chemical
include Parkinsons’s disease, neurological disorders, endocrine disruption, and
cancer.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moneymaker for Syngenta</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></h3>
Paraquat is an important moneymaker for its creator and main manufacturer,
the Swiss company Syngenta. Despite bans in many countries — including
Switzerland — international policies allow <a href="http://www.evb.ch/cm_data/Paraquat_Distribution_Legal_Opinion.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.evb\.ch\/cm_data\/Paraquat_Distribution_Legal_Opinion\.pdf\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink">exports of this antiquated herbicide</span></span></a> for
continued use in poor communities around the world.<br />
<br />
Now is the time to bring this dangerous chemical under control. Governments
must heed the clamor of workers, farmers, women and children around the world,
and take action.<br />
<br />
PAN International is asking that concerned citizens around the world call
Ministries of Environment and Foreign Relations and ask them to say YES to the
inclusion of paraquat dichloride 20% formulation in the Rotterdam Convention when
governments meet next week.<br />
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Chela Vazquezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15580525725006429858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-59631363610481139222011-09-12T12:37:00.000+08:002013-04-25T16:58:38.315+08:00Call for Indian ban on pesticide linked to birth defects<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="emp-decription" id="meta-information">
8 September 2011<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Indian supreme court is due to decide on the use of a controversial pesticide blamed for causing neurological and congenital deformities in babies. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The court has already imposed a temporary ban across India, but the government in Delhi says Endosulfan is a cheap and effective pesticide, and there is not enough evidence to outlaw it nationally. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The southern state of Kerala, where Endosulfan was regularly sprayed from helicopters, brought in a ban 11 years ago - but campaigners say it is still having an impact on the lives of children born today. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Rupa Jha reports from Kasargod in Kerala.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-90164097445415093342011-08-10T15:13:00.001+08:002011-08-10T15:14:40.455+08:00More than 60 pesticides banned in other countries in use in India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="body">by <span class="author">Roy Mathew </span></div><div class="body"><span class="author"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SSJF1PyieFfHiIcjdRkTcGi7spFGEw_Y0EdbfXvHpnBntmW_TngM3EqFtkXZWocvDKFSKmOGo4s_Ypnt1ihLmgfKy0pvY7-Vd7Tcr0hsHBz2BgbmHHw794Li7VQh5G58xoV5pPwFWsE/s1600/pesticides_jpg_748811f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SSJF1PyieFfHiIcjdRkTcGi7spFGEw_Y0EdbfXvHpnBntmW_TngM3EqFtkXZWocvDKFSKmOGo4s_Ypnt1ihLmgfKy0pvY7-Vd7Tcr0hsHBz2BgbmHHw794Li7VQh5G58xoV5pPwFWsE/s1600/pesticides_jpg_748811f.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the pesticides in use in Kerala. Photo: Roy Mathew </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">Many pesticides which have been banned or severely restricted in some countries are in use in Kerala and other States. </div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">Kerala banned the use of 15 pesticides in May this year. However, about a dozen pesticides which were either banned or severely restricted in other countries continue to be used in Kerala, C. Jayakumar of Thanal (an advocacy organisation campaigning against pesticides) told <i>The Hindu</i>. Moreover, several of the banned pesticides are still in use and some of the alternatives suggested officially are pesticides banned in other countries. </div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">Currently, 67 pesticides which have been banned or restricted in some countries are in use in India. Though expert committees set up by the Central government have examined the matter, they had recommended continued use of the pesticides in most cases. In some cases, they recommended that they be allowed for restricted use. </div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">Committees that reviewed nearly half the pesticides were headed by C.D. Mayee who had reported that no link could be found between endosulfan and the health effects among those exposed to the pesticide in Kasaragod district. In almost all cases, Mr. Mayee had recommended continued use of the pesticides banned in other countries in India. In a few cases, restrictions were recommended. </div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">The pesticides in use in Kerala include Carbaryl, Malathion, Acephate, Dimethoate, Chlorpyrifos, Lindane, Quinalphos, Phosphomidon, Carbandizm, Captan, Tridamorph, Practilachlor, 2.4–D and Glyphosate. “We are caught in a pesticide trap and need to get out of these and look for green options such as biological control or non pesticide management that has been a huge success in Andhra Pradesh,” Dr. Jayakumar said. </div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">However, the Ministry of Agriculture was often taking a stand in favour of continued use of harmful pesticides. A similar situation had existed in the United States in the seventies. In 1972, the U.S. Congress passed the “Federal Environmental Pesticides Control Act” which transferred all responsibility of pesticide registration and regulation to the USEPA, in large part to address the charges that the U.S. </div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">Department of Agriculture suffered from pro-pesticide bias, says Kieth Douglass in his book Agroecology in Action. Those campaigning against pesticides say that a similar action was called for in India also. </div><div class="body" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-57037285498470005672011-07-27T12:36:00.000+08:002011-07-27T12:36:04.411+08:00Vietnam Era Weapon Being Used to Clear the Amazon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h1 class="entry-header">Vietnam Era Weapon Being Used to Clear the Amazon</h1><h5 class="tagline" style="text-align: left;">by <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/author/stephen-messenger-porto-alegre/">Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil</a> on 07. 5.11</h5><div id="fb-like"><span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="agent orange photo" class="mt-image-none" height="319" src="http://www.treehugger.com/agent-orange-amazon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="468" /></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption">Source: Wikipedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Agent Orange is one of the most devastating weapons of modern warfare, a chemical which killed or injured an estimated 400,000 people during the Vietnam War -- and now it's being used against the Amazon rainforest. According to officials, ranchers in Brazil have begun spraying the highly toxic herbicide over patches of forest as a covert method to illegally clear foliage, more difficult to detect that chainsaws and tractors. In recent weeks, an aerial survey detected some 440 acres of rainforest that had been sprayed with the compound -- poisoning thousands of trees and an untold number of animals, potentially for generations.</div><br />
<a href="" name="more"></a> <div style="text-align: justify;">Officials from Brazil's environmental agency IBAMA were first tipped to the illegal clearing by satellite images of the forest in Amazonia; a helicopter flyover in the region later revealed thousands of trees left ash-colored and defoliated by toxic chemicals. IBAMA says that Agent Orange was likely dispersed by aircraft by a yet unidentified rancher to clear the land for pasture because it is more difficult to detect than traditional operations that require chainsaws and tractors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="poisoned-amazon.jpg" class="mt-image-none" height="321" src="http://www.treehugger.com/poisoned-amazon.jpg" width="468" /> <em><small> </small></em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em><small> Photo: <a href="http://www.ibama.gov.br/">IBAMA</a></small></em></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Last week, in another part of the Amazon, an investigation conducted by the agency <a href="http://www.ibama.gov.br/archives/16102">uncovered approximately four tons</a> of the highly toxic herbal pesticides hidden in the forest awaiting dispension. If released, the chemicals could have potentially decimated some 7,500 acres of rainforest, killing all the wildlife that resides there and contaminating groundwater. In this case, the individual responsible was identified and now faces fines nearing $1.3 million.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">According to a report from <em>Folha de São Paulo</em>, the last time such chemicals were recorded in use by deforesters was in 1999, but officials say dispensing the devastating herbicide may become more common as officials crack down on the most flagrant types of environmental crime.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">"They [deforesters] have changed their strategy because, in a short time, more areas of forest can be destroyed with herbicides. Thus, they don't need to mobilize tree-cutting teams and can therefore bypass the supervision of IBAMA," says Jerfferson Lobato of IBAMA.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="agent-orange-effects.jpg" class="mt-image-left" height="175" src="http://www.treehugger.com/agent-orange-effects.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" width="220" /> While Agent Orange was originally designed to clear forest coverage in combat situations, its use became a subject of controversy due to its impact on humans and wildlife. During the Vietnam War, the United States military dispersed 12 million gallons of herbicide, impacting the health of some 3 million, mostly peasant, Vietnamese citizens, and causing birth defects in around 500 thousand children. Additionally, the chemical's effect on the environment have been profound and lasting.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Last month, over three decades after Agent Orange was last used in Vietnam, the US began funding a $38 million decontamination operation there. Meanwhile, in the Brazilian Amazon, the highly toxic chemical was being discovered anew and sprayed over the rainforest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-49176691048322095062011-07-22T15:11:00.004+08:002011-07-22T15:13:06.671+08:00Monk leads protest over use of pesticides in Sri Lanka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="intelliTxt"> Colombo - A Buddhist monk led hundreds of protestors Thursday to campaign against the use of pesticides in Sri Lanka after fresh scientific research revealed that waterways were contaminated with arsenic, which can cause kidney failure.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="intelliTxt"> The monk, Ven Athureliya Rathana, who is also a parliamentarian, led a march from parliament to a temple in the south of the country to perform rituals against those promoting pesticides. 'Our protest is also aimed at creating awareness about the dangers of use of pesticides', Ven Rathana said.The protest came after a group of academics said they had found irrigation canals contaminated with arsenic, as well as people suffering from arsenic poisoning. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="intelliTxt">The Sri Lankan government offers fertilizer at a subsidized rate to farmers, but the useage of pesticides and chemicals are also on the increase. Researcher Chann Jayasumna said that as many as 20,000 patients suspected to be suffering from pesticide poisoning are undergoing treatment at state-run hospitals. He said many of them are farmers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span id="intelliTxt"></span></div><span id="intelliTxt"></span><br />
<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-24997570673583538602011-07-22T12:13:00.000+08:002011-07-22T12:13:51.740+08:0010 More Highly Toxic Pesticides to Be Prohibited in China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span itemprop="articleBody">Guangzhou, Guangdong -- (<a href="http://www.sbwire.com/" id="sbwlink">SBWIRE</a>) -- 07/20/2011 -- The July issue of Crop Protection China News has come out recently., The headline news is China Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced on July 5 that 10 more highly toxic pesticides, including methidathion, phorate, isofenphosmethyl and carbofuran, etc., will be banned in 2011.</span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"></span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span itemprop="articleBody"> According to MOA, although China has been banning highly toxic pesticides in these years, there are still 22 highly toxic pesticides, mostly insecticides allowed to be produced, sold and used in China. Except the 10 highly toxic pesticides that are confirmed to be banned in 2011, the other 12 highly toxic pesticides will be gradually banned in the forthcoming years.</span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"></span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span itemprop="articleBody"> MOA also declared that the prohibition date of the remaining 12 highly toxic pesticides will be depended on whether there is enough amount of alternative pesticides with highly efficient and lowly toxic. </span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"></span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span itemprop="articleBody"> Statistics show that there are 400 pesticide enterprises and about 900 kinds of products in China involved in the production of the 22 highly toxic pesticides and the capacity of these pesticides has reached around 104,000t/a in China. The annual output of them reached 50,000t/a in 2010, accounting for 2.5% of the total output of pesticides in 2010.</span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"></span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span itemprop="articleBody"> Besides, the prohibition of highly toxic pesticides will definitely provide a good chance for the development of biological pesticides in China. Actually, MOA has already started to draft the policy of encouraging pesticides players to conduct the R&D of biological pesticides, such as setting pilot projects of biological pesticide subsidies in Shanghai City, Shandong Province, etc. As the new policy's crackdown on highly toxic pesticides, it is expected that good prospect of biological pesticides will be expected in the coming years.</span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"></span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span itemprop="articleBody"> More news about the industrial trend, company dynamics, market price, and future forecast are unveiled in the latest issue of Crop Protection China News.</span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"></span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"> <br />
The following highlights are covered in the latest issue of Crop Protection China News:<br />
- MOA announces to ban 10 more highly toxic pesticides in 2011.<br />
- Huapont Pharm's merger with Nutrichem has been finally approved by CSRC on July 5, 2011.<br />
- Lianhe Technology sets up a new pesticide intermediate subsidiary in Yancheng City.<br />
- Jiangsu Lanfeng receives USD1.55 million of relocation compensation from local government on July 3, 2011.<br />
- Sino-Agri enhances cooperation with foreign pesticide suppliers, aiming to provide efficient and eco-friendly products to domestic consumers.<br />
- Noposion will gain a subsidy of about USD625 thousand from the government for the R&D on resin-based solvent.<br />
- Heilongjiang Agriculture plans to develop some agricultural projects in Argentina, including the planting of soybean, corn and some other crops. <br />
- Ministry of Agriculture would make a tighter control of the source of breeding materials, preventing a further illegal circulation of GM seeds.<br />
- The price of Chinese potash fertilizer increases, which is beneficial to Sinofert.<br />
<br />
About CCM</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span itemprop="articleBody"> CCM is dedicated to market research in China, Asia-Pacific Rim and global market. With a staff of more than 150 dedicated highly-educated professionals. CCM offers Market Data, Analysis, Reports, Newsletters, Buyer-Trader Information, Import/Export Analysis all through its new proprietary product ValoTracer.</span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"></span></div><span itemprop="articleBody"> <br />
Please visit <a href="http://www.cnchemicals.com/" target="_blank">http://www.cnchemicals.com</a> for more information or contact econtact@cnchemicals.com<br />
<br />
CCM International Ltd.<br />
Guangzhou CCM Information Science & Technology Co., Ltd.<br />
17th Floor, Huihua Commercial & Trade Mansion, No.80 Xianlie Zhong Road, Guangzhou 510070, China</span><br />
<br />
Source: <b><a href="http://www.sbwire.com/profiles/companies/14117"><span itemprop="author">CCM International Ltd</span></a></b> <br />
Posted Wednesday, July 31 2011 at 8:45 PM CDT - <b><a href="http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/sbwire-101030.htm">Permalink</a></b><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-56363413218374723812011-07-10T13:01:00.004+08:002011-07-10T13:08:00.685+08:00Europe to require listing of palm oil on product labels<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFVpqS3lPuWZHuv1V_nkSrYk3DIQ3BGcAS3VL89GE21lPtn08YtaRzcWqsgwgaOJ8Ks2SxusvN1Of5apgC3uIYkxayQPOdMsPaAI__0ZtWWpFSns8rSloHCJqLGHVfhtQquyyLMChOCI/s1600/sabah_128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFVpqS3lPuWZHuv1V_nkSrYk3DIQ3BGcAS3VL89GE21lPtn08YtaRzcWqsgwgaOJ8Ks2SxusvN1Of5apgC3uIYkxayQPOdMsPaAI__0ZtWWpFSns8rSloHCJqLGHVfhtQquyyLMChOCI/s1600/sabah_128.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana,sans-serif,arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Oil palm plantation in Malaysia. Photo by Jeremy Hance</i></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Members of the European Parliament have voted in favor of listing specific vegetable oils — including palm oil — on product labels, reports the Clear Labels, Not Forests initiative which pushed for the measure. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The new agreement requires all vegetable oils to be labeled individually by 2015. Presently different oils are typically label under the generic term "vegetable oil." </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Conservation groups pushed for the measure as a means to make consumers aware of whether the products they use contain palm oil, which environmental campaigners have linked to deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia. Conservationists are hoping palm oil labeling could encourage consumer products companies to use more eco-certified palm oil, which is generally produced without conversion of biologically-rich rainforests and peatlands. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is the leading certification standard. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "Consumers want to know if products contain palm oil, and where that palm oil comes from," said Helen Buckland, UK Director of the Sumatran Orangutan Society, one of the supporters of the Clear Labels, Not Forests initiative. "This new regulation will make palm oil visible on ingredients lists, enabling consumer choice and ultimately providing leverage for European companies to clean up their supply chains and only use certified sustainable palm oil." </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "It is time for retailers and manufacturers to play their role in supporting the transformation of the industry." </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The labeling measure has been strongly opposed by the Malaysian palm oil lobby, which fears that listing palm oil as an ingredient could result in discrimination against palm oil-containing products in the marketplace. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> "Malaysia is of the view that labeling palm oil purely from the perspective of sustainable production is discriminatory," said Y.B. Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Malaysia's Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, in a statement issued last month after Australia passed a similar labeling rule. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Palm oil is used widely in processed food products and cosmetics. Its high yield makes it a cheap source of oil. </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana,sans-serif,arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-46826947545480885712011-07-07T14:54:00.000+08:002011-07-07T14:54:08.773+08:00China to Ban 10 High Toxic Insecticides<div style="text-align: justify;">China plans to ban 10 types of high toxic insecticides by the year's end in an effort to ensure farm produce safety and protect the ecological environment, the Ministry of Agriculture said Tuesday. The ministry and four other departments have drafted a scheme on elimination and ban the use of high toxic insecticides and the scheme has been submitted to the State Council, or the Cabinet, for approval, said Zhou Puguo, deputy director of the ministry's crop production bureau. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">The scheme will prompt the withdrawal of the registration certificates and production licenses for 10 insecticides, including fenamiphos and fonofos, and banning their production starting Oct. 31, 2011. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the scheme, sales and use of these insecticides will be banned starting Oct. 31, 2013, Zhou said. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">The government will conduct further research and evaluation related to the economic impacts of the ban on the use of a further 12 insecticides, as currently there are no suitable substitutes for them, he said.According to Zhou, more than 400 companies have registered about 900 products related to the 22 types of high toxic insecticides, which are mainly used on rice and cotton crops.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">The government will give hard strike on illegal production and sales of high toxic insecticides that are banned by authorities. The illegal use of high toxic insecticides have resulted in people and farm animals becoming sickened, Zhou said.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-78742919015699357122011-06-27T12:59:00.002+08:002011-06-27T13:00:08.605+08:00Endosulfan listed under Rotterdam Convention<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="articleLead"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7R-P4RdZUGvI4ryL0bpWqKKspcKU2VVlnSEm6GACD6Qvd4awka0Hz8luvKFWIYQRng3m17hLdmfeGhT2JbHpox4sE9bWDKt4GViGILwzqpt8Dq68Ld-o-oGKBuvYyrsi2aYMkyUbgW8/s1600/rotterdam_JPG_666215f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7R-P4RdZUGvI4ryL0bpWqKKspcKU2VVlnSEm6GACD6Qvd4awka0Hz8luvKFWIYQRng3m17hLdmfeGhT2JbHpox4sE9bWDKt4GViGILwzqpt8Dq68Ld-o-oGKBuvYyrsi2aYMkyUbgW8/s1600/rotterdam_JPG_666215f.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the plenary session of conference of parties to the Rotterdam convention meeting in Geneva. Photo: IISD Reporting Services </td></tr>
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India supports listing of pesticide<br />
<br />
</div><div class="articleLead"></div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">The Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, meeting in Geneva, decided to list endosulfan under annex III to the Convention on Friday.This makes prior informed consent of importing countries necessary for export of the pesticide. India, an exporter, did not object to listing of the pesticide.</div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">India exports half of its annual production of around 9000 tonnes of endosulfan. However, production was stopped temporarily this month on orders from the Supreme Court on a petition filed by the Democratic Youth Federation of India, citing harmful health effects of the pesticide. The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is aimed at helping poor countries in managing potentially hazardous chemicals imported by them.</div><div class="body"><br />
</div><div class="body" style="text-align: justify;">The Conference postponed a decision on listing of chrysotile (white asbestos) to its next meeting as no consensus could be reached. However, a declaration was drafted by Australia and signed by many of the country-delegates seeking to pursue voluntary exchange of information. Canada (besides some other countries) had strongly opposed the listing of asbestos without stating its reasons even while agreeing that the scientific criteria for listing had been met. On Thursday, the European Union expressed severe disappointment over the failure of discussions on asbestos and thanked India for changing its stand and supporting its listing. India initially objected to the listing of asbestos.</div><div class="body"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-27778048325203144802011-06-21T17:31:00.001+08:002011-06-21T17:32:22.371+08:00Bad pesticides ruin Delta rice crop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="pBody">CUU LONG DELTA — Farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, already hit by topsy-turvy weather, are in danger of losing their rice crop to fake pesticides, Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper reported. The Chau Phu District Plant Protection Station in An Giang Province, for instance, reported strange signs like the unusual length of the internode and leaf (15cm) after a farmer used Asia Biochemical Co Ltd's pesticide known as BIM downy 75WP.</span></div><div class="pBody"><br />
</div><div class="pBody" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="pBody">The province Plant Protection Department earlier reported 13 cases of production and distribution of fake pesticides, mostly of popular brands like Oshin 20WP, Chess 50WG, Atonik 1.8DD, Clincher 10 EC. "Many [of them] had anti-counterfeit stamps," Bui Van Khai, the department's chief inspector, said. Plant protection departments in Kien Giang and Dong Thap Provinces have also reported that many fake pesticide products are being sold.</span></div><div class="pBody"><br />
</div><div class="pBody" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="pBody">"The producers do not focus on expensive pesticides that are easily detected [in case of fakes]," Nguyen Van Thien, director of the Dong Thap Plant Protection Department, said. Agriculturists warn that the rampant sale of fake products is likely to be the last straw for farmers who are already grappling with unseasonable weather since planting their summer-autumn crop.</span></div><div class="pBody"><br />
</div><div class="pBody" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="pBody">Nguyen Phuoc Tuyen, head of scientific research at the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: "Farmers spray plant protection chemicals when they find their paddy diseased."Most of them will spray again and again if they see no improvement."</span></div><div class="pBody"><br />
</div><div class="pBody" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="pBody">"Most active elements and solvents in these fake medicines are toxic compounds which do not decompose, and are toxic for the environment," Tuyen said. "They also exterminate fish and shrimp, and threaten the health of the sprayers." Inspectors should intensify oversight of manufacturing points, he said. They have for long focused on inspecting outlets selling pesticides, while the root of the problem – places where the spurious chemicals are manufactured – has not received attention, he said. Inspection of manufacturing places should not be difficult, and fakes could be "easily discovered" in the transportation phase, he said — VNS</span></div><div class="pBody"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-86121895283422610262011-05-06T12:59:00.000+08:002011-05-06T12:59:11.447+08:00Killer Pesticide Endosulfan to be Phased Out Globally<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><u><em></em></u></span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial;"><img align="baseline" alt="" border="0" hspace="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=e7c67d824f&view=att&th=12fb41e7553f0658&attid=0.1&disp=emb&zw" /></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">29 April, 2011</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.5pt;">KILLER PESTICIDE ENDOSULFAN TO BE PHASED OUT GLOBALLY</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">GENEVA</span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">: Gathered in Geneva for the Fifth Conference of the Parties this week, the nations of the world agreed to add endosulfan, an antiquated persistent insecticide, to the Stockholm Convention’s list of banned substances. Environmental health and justice organizations from around the world who have been working towards a ban welcomed the decision.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The use of endosulfan has severely impacted the people of Kerala, India, where its use on cashew plantations has left thousands suffering from birth defects, mental retardation, and cancer. "This is the moment we have been dreaming of,” says Jayan Chelaton from Thanal, a public interest research group based in Kerala. “The tears of the mothers of the endosulfan victims cannot be remedied, but it will be a relief to them that there will not be any more people exposed to this toxic insecticide. It is good feeling for them. We are happy to note that this is also victory for poor farmers, as this proves people united from all over the world can get what they demand."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Because of its persistence, bioaccumulation, and mobility, endosulfan—like DDT—travels on wind and ocean currents to the Arctic where it contaminates the environment and traditional foods of the people who live there. “We are pleased with the decision of the global community today to phase out this dangerous chemical that has contaminated our traditional foods in the Arctic. Our people are some of the most contaminated on the planet." said Vi Waghiyi, a Yupik woman from St. Lawrence Island (Alaska) and the Environmental Health and Justice Program Director with Alaska Community Action on Toxics. "But until all manufacturing and uses of endosulfan are eliminated, this pesticide will continue to harm our peoples, so we urge all countries to rapidly implement safer alternatives and eliminate their last few uses of endosulfan."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">For most uses the ban will take effect in a year, but use on a short list of crop-pest combinations will be phased out over a six-year period. “With a plethora of alternatives already available, we’d have preferred to see no exemptions included in the decision. But we were successful in restricting exemptions to specific combinations of crops and pests. This means that during the phase-out it can only be used in very specific situations,” said Karl Tupper, a staff scientist from Pesticide Action Network North America who attended the deliberations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Endosulfan, a DDT-era pesticide, is one of the most toxic pesticides still in use today. Each year, it took the lives of dozens of African cotton farmers until recently being banned by most countries on the continent. Hundreds of farmers in the developing world still use it to commit suicide each year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“The health of Indigenous Peoples around the world, including our Yaqui communities in Mexico, are directly and adversely impacted when these kinds of toxic chemicals are applied, usually without their knowledge or informed consent. This phase out is an important step forward for Indigenous Peoples adversely affected both at the source of application and in the Arctic where these toxics ultimately end up,” said Andrea Carmen, Executive Director of International Indian Treaty Council and coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Global Caucus at the meeting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">According to Javier Souza, Coordinator of Pesticide Action Network Latin America, “This phase out of endosulfan provides an excellent opportunity for countries to implement non-chemical alternatives to pesticides and to strengthen and expand agroecological practices. National phase out efforts should be open to the participation of experts from academia, farmer organizations, and environmental groups with experience.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Momentum for a global ban has been building for many years. “Endosulfan was first proposed for addition in the Convention in 2007. At that time about 50 countries had already banned it; today, more than 80 countries have banned it or announced phase-outs. NGOs have worked very hard to make this happen,” says Meriel Watts, senior science advisor, from Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific. “But today’s decision is really a tribute to all those farmers, communities, and activists across the planet who have suffered from endosulfan and fought for this day. It is especially a tribute to the thousands in the state of Kerala, India, whose health has suffered so terribly from endosulfan, to the inspirational leadership of Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan, and to the many other people there who have all fought for their rights and for a global ban on endosulfan.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">"We are delighted with this decision as it means agricultural workers, Indigenous Peoples and communities across the globe will finally be protected from this poisonous pollutant,” says Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith, CoChair of IPEN - International POPs Elimination Network. “The UN’s own scientific body had clearly shown that endosulfan is a POP, despite the recent vocal claims by some. Endosulfan contaminates the Arctic food chain and Antarctic krill, poisons our farmers, and pollutes our breastmilk. It was clearly time for endosulfan to go and it now joins the same fate as old POPs pesticides like dieldrin and heptachlor, banned once and for all. It is essential that all POPs should be eliminated and this global ban will provide the much needed legal protection."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Available for Interviews:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Karl Tupper, Pesticide Action NetworkNorth America, <a href="mailto:karl@panna.org" target="_blank">karl@panna.org</a>, <a href="tel:%2B1%20415-981-1771" target="_blank" value="+14159811771">+1 415-981-1771</a> (USA)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith, International POPS Elimination Network, <a href="mailto:biomap@oztoxics.org" target="_blank">biomap@oztoxics.org</a>; <a href="tel:%2B61%2041-362-1557" target="_blank" value="+61413621557">+61 41-362-1557</a> (Australia)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Dr. Meriel Watts, Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific, <a href="mailto:merielwatts@xtra.co.nz" target="_blank">merielwatts@xtra.co.nz</a>; +64 21-1807830. (NewZealand)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Vi Waghiyi, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, <a href="mailto:vi@akaction.net" target="_blank">vi@akaction.net</a>, <a href="tel:%2B1%20907-222-7714" target="_blank" value="+19072227714">+1 907-222-7714</a> (USA)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Jayakumar Chelaton, Thanal, <a href="mailto:jayakumar.c@gmail.com" target="_blank">jayakumar.c@gmail.com</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Andrea Carmen, International Indian Treaties Council, <a href="mailto:andrea@treatycouncil.org" target="_blank">andrea@treatycouncil.org</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 29.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span>·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Javier Souza, Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas para América Latina, <a href="mailto:javierrapal@yahoo.com.ar" target="_blank">javierrapal@yahoo.com.ar</a></span></div></span></div><div> </div><div> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-30001501692884268432011-05-06T12:55:00.000+08:002011-05-06T12:55:53.443+08:00Endosulfan-free Café for Stockholm Convention Delegates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><img align="baseline" alt="" border="0" hspace="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=e7c67d824f&view=att&th=12faff253b2a3637&attid=0.1&disp=emb&zw" /></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Cambria;">NGOs Host Endosulfan-free Café for Stockholm Convention Delegates </span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Health and community groups around the world call for an end to endosulfan</span></i></b></div></span></div><div> </div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b>April 26, Geneva, Switzerland</b> – Health and community leaders from across the globe are serving organic coffee, cashews and chocolate — free of the pesticide endosulfan — to Stockholm Convention delegates in Geneva. At the gathering this week the governments will decide whether to include the persistent insecticide in the Convention, which would ban it in the 173 countries that are Parties to the treaty.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Among the largest remaining users of endosulfan are the cotton, soy, coffee, chocolate, and tea industries in certain countries,” explains Karl Tupper, Staff Scientist with Pesticide Action Network (PAN) North America. “By featuring organic examples of these products from around the world in our Café, we’re demonstrating that endosulfan-free production is not only possible but also profitable — proving false the claims from the pesticide industry that endosulfan is necessary for growing these crops.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (also known as the “POPs Treaty”) aims to protect human health and the environment by eliminating chemicals that are the ‘worst of the worst’: those that are simultaneously toxic, bioaccumulative, persistent, and mobile in the global environment. Endosulfan has been recommended by the treaty’s POPs Review Committee for addition to the list of 21 chemicals already slated for global phaseout.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The NGO ‘café’ will feature endosulfan-free organic coffee from Brazil, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, México, India and other countries, organic cashews from India, chocolate made from organic cocoa from various Latin American nations and organic tea from China, India, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. The free café, which is open periodically throughout the week, is called “The Annex A Café,” after the section of the Convention where endosulfan would be listed for phaseout. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Many less toxic and safer alternatives to endosulfan are being used successfully around the globe — from cotton farms in West Africa to coffee growers in Latin America to tea plantations in Asia. There is no excuse for keeping a toxic insecticide like endosulfan on the market,” says Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith of the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN). Many of these alternatives to endosulfan have been well documented, and the NGOs are making information about them available to meeting delegates.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">NGOs serving the delegates will be wearing t-shirts made from organic cotton grown in India, provided by the company Pants2Poverty, which sources organic cotton from both India and West Africa. Many other food items grown without endosulfan, such as soy and sugarcane, are also on display at the Café.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Endosulfan is a toxic insecticide that persists in the environment and accumulates in humans and animals. It causes reproductive harm and birth defects in humans, as has been seen in the tragic cases from Kerala, India. “The human health harms of endosulfan are horrific — as victims from the state of Kerala testify,” says Jayakumar Chelaton of the Indian NGO Thanal. “Governments cannot continue putting the profit motive above the health of people — they must ban endosulfan.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“In addition to the tragic developmental effects and birth defects highlighted in Kerala, endosulfan has also been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and long term neurological effects such as epilepsy and autism”, says Dr. Meriel Watts of PAN Asia and the Pacific. “There have also been many deaths from acute poisoning, especially amongst farmers using endosulfan in the cotton fields of Africa. Endosulfan’s human health harms are well understood and 80 countries around the world have already banned it or are phasing it out.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Endosulfan travels long distances on air and water currents, and, through a process known as global distillation, accumulates in colder Northern latitudes such as the Arctic regions — thousands of miles from where it was originally used. “Endosulfan affects Indigenous Peoples where it is used, at the original source of contamination, and accumulates from around the globe in the circumpolar Arctic where it contaminates the bodies of our peoples, especially unborn and young children, and traditional food sources such as marine mammals. This is a violation of our internationally-recognized human rights as Indigenous Peoples,” says Andrea Carmen of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Endosulfan is contaminating the traditional foods of Arctic Indigenous Peoples,” agrees Vi Waghiyi, a Yupik woman from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, and Environmental Health and Justice Program Director with Alaska Community Action on Toxics. “This is an affront to our human rights, our health, the health of our children and to our cultures. We are among the most highly contaminated people on earth because of the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the Arctic. We urge the COP5 delegates to take immediate action by including endosulfan in Annex A and continue work toward eliminating all POPs.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Innovative farmers are using cutting edge practices, to achieve good outputs in key crops in Africa, Asia and Latin America without using endosulfan. “Organic practices are the safest, most effective and highly productive approaches to growing crops without endosulfan,” says Dr. Abou Thiam of PAN Africa.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“<span lang="ES">Endosulfan is unnecessary,” adds Javier Souza of Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas para América Latina (RAPAL). </span>“In Latin America, coffee, fruit, vegetables, sugar and soy are all produced without endosulfan. We call upon the nations around the world to support a global ban on endosulfan. It is high time that public health is valued above corporate profits.”</span></div></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Available for interviews:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Andrea Carmen, IITC. Contact: <a href="mailto:andrea@treatycouncil.org" target="_blank">andrea@treatycouncil.org</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Jayakumar Chelaton, Thanal, India. Contact: <a href="mailto:jayakumar.c@gmail.com" target="_blank">jayakumar.c@gmail.com</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Dr. Mariann Lloyd- Smith, IPEN. Contact: </span><a href="mailto:biomap@oztoxics.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">biomap@oztoxics.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="tel:%2B6-141-362-1557" target="_blank" value="+61413621557">+6-141-362-1557</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Javier Souza, RAPAL, Contact: <a href="mailto:javierrapal@yahoo.com.ar" target="_blank">javierrapal@yahoo.com.ar</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Dr. Abou Thiam, PAN Africa, Contact: <a href="mailto:abouthiam@pan-afrique.org" target="_blank">abouthiam@pan-afrique.org</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Karl Tupper, PAN North America, Contact: </span><a href="mailto:karl@panna.org" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">karl@panna.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Vi Waghiyi, Alaska Community Action on Toxics. Contact: <span><a href="mailto:vi@akaction.net" target="_blank">vi@akaction.net</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Dr. Meriel Watts, PAN Asia and the Pacific, Contact: <a href="mailto:merielwatts@xtra.co.nz" target="_blank">merielwatts@xtra.co.nz</a> <a href="tel:%2B64-21-1807830" target="_blank" value="+64211807830">+64-21-1807830</a></span></div></span></div><div> </div><div> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-82275325168170780242011-05-06T12:50:00.000+08:002011-05-06T12:50:34.232+08:00India agrees to Endosulfan ban<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h1 class="ins_headline aptureTMMSelection" id="title" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; color: inherit; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0pt none; clear: none; color: inherit; cursor: auto; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0pt; outline: medium none; padding: 0pt; position: relative; text-decoration: inherit; text-indent: 0pt; text-transform: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: inherit;">India agrees to Endosulfan ban</span></span></h1><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Stockholm: </b> In a major change of position, India on Friday accepted at a world convention in Geneva that the pesticide Endosulfan is a health hazard. India is currently the largest exporter of Endosulfan in the world and it is used extensively in many states.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
It has now agreed to a phased out ban with an exemption for some crops.<br />
<br />
Activists too say this is a major victory but too late for those whose live have been destroyed at ground zero in Kerala's Kasargod, especially the poor farmers who widely use this pesticide because it's about 15 times cheaper than organic options.<br />
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"We are joining the consensus, but of course, we will look forward to adequate and timely work on safe and cost-effective alternatives being worked out in the phase-out period," said Gauri Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and head of the Indian Delegation in Geneva.<br />
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Eighty four countries had banned Endosulfan but India resisted it for the longest time, claiming there was no solid proof that it impacted human health.<br />
<br />
But at the convention India was completely isolated, especially when China - also a user - supported a conditional ban.<br />
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It received a further setback when the Food and Agriculture Association of the UN stated it is hazardous.<br />
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In the run up to the Geneva meet, Kerala government had upped its protests where the Kasargod region had seen the maximum deaths among farmers who used the pesticide.<br />
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"It is happy news for us. But we are not only sticking to our demand for the ban. We are concerned about the victims," said Mohan Pulikodan, co-coordinator, Endosulfan Victims Support Aid Group.<br />
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Now India has bought itself more time to phase out the use and production of Endosulphan over the next 10 years. The biggest worries of the Indian government are a domestic pesticide industry worth <span class="rupee">R<span>s.</span></span> 1,000 crore and the threat of a further rise in food prices - something the average Indian will not be able to stomach.</div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484245430664042564.post-3498529143345638682011-04-22T18:18:00.000+08:002011-04-22T18:18:21.179+08:00Kerala to mark April 25 as anti-endosulphan day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_quote">'The long standing request of a financial assistance and a rehabilitation package for the victims of endosulphan is yet to be granted by the centre. We are now told a new study team from Delhi is to arrive in the affected areas. In the past one decade several studies have been conducted. This is not acceptable and deplorable that yet another team is coming,' said Achuthanandan.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text">Thiruvananthapuram, April 20 - Ahead of an international convention in Switzerland, Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Wednesday said the state will observe anti-endosulphan day on April 25.</span></div><span class="article_text"></span></div><span class="article_text"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text">The announcement comes a day after the main opposition Congress urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that India supports the global ban on endosulphan at the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants to be held in Geneva April 25-29.</span></div><span class="article_text"></span></div><span class="article_text"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text">'An all-party delegation led by Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi would request Manmohan Singh to see that endosulphan is banned in the country,' said Achuthanandan.</span></div><span class="article_text"></span></div><span class="article_text"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text">The use of endosulfan at the estates of state-owned Plantation Corporation of Kerala - in Kasargode district began in the early 1970s and continued till 2001. </span></div><span class="article_text"></span></div><span class="article_text"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text">About 500 deaths since 1995 have been officially acknowledged to be related to the spraying of endosulfan in about 11 villages. Unofficial estimates put the deaths since the late 1970s at around 4,000.</span></div><span class="article_text"></span></div><span class="article_text"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text">'The long standing request of a financial assistance and a rehabilitation package for the victims of endosulphan is yet to be granted by the centre. We are now told a new study team from Delhi is to arrive in the affected areas. In the past one decade several studies have been conducted. This is not acceptable and deplorable that yet another team is coming,' said Achuthanandan.</span></div><span class="article_text"></span></div><span class="article_text"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text">At least 81 countries have banned the chemical. Kerala and Karnataka have also banned endosulfan.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="article_text"> </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0