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Thousands Call on BASF, Bayer, and Syngenta to End Sales of Highly Hazardous Pesticides

03.12.2012, PAN Germany Press Release

Download Press Release, dated 3 December 2012


(Hamburg, 3 December 2012) Every year, large numbers of people worldwide are victims of pesticide poisonings. BASF, Bayer, and Syngenta, the three largest global pesticide companies, are to a significant extent responsible for these pesticide poisonings. A broad alliance of some 10 000 people and 127 organizations from numerous countries have now joined PAN Germany to support a letter authored by PAN Germany and dated 3 December 2012 that calls on these multinational companies to discontinue sales of highly hazardous pesticides throughout the world.

For decades, a variety of programs have been implemented worldwide that attempt to prevent pesticide poisonings by securing the "safe use" of pesticides. Nonetheless, human beings, domestic animals, and the environment continue to suffer severe damage due to highly hazardous pesticides. Estimates of annual cases of acute poisonings of people alone range from 25 to 41 millions.

Carina Weber, executive director of PAN Germany, explains: "In theory, pesticide poisonings should be prevented by training people to handle pesticides. In practice, however, this knowledge is frequently not applied. Furthermore, many pesticide users are not trained at all or the required protective equipment is not available, isn't used, or is defective. That is how many cases of poisoning occur, especially in developing countries."

According to PAN Germany's study "Highly hazardous pesticides from BASF, Bayer, and Syngenta", each of these three companies market more than fifty highly hazardous pesticide active ingredients worldwide. Together these three multinational companies with headquarters in Europe control near half of the world pesticide market; thus, their pesticide products portfolios constitute significant global hazards.

Early December marks the anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, in which gas leaked from a pesticide factory in the Indian city during the night of 3 December, killing thousands of residents. Thousands are still seriously affected by the impacts of the accident. At the same time, millions suffer worldwide, and all too often unnoticed, from the routine use of pesticides.

Contact: Carina Weber, Phone +49 (40) 399 19 10-23, E-mail: carina.weber(at)pan-germany .org

Background information

  • Click here to read the letter to the three companies and see the list of supporting organizations.
  • Click here to read PAN Germany's study (2012): Highly hazardous pesticides from BASF, Bayer, and Syngenta! Results from an international investigation

Further information on these issues: http://www.pan-germany.org/gbr/project_work/highly_hazardous_pesticides.html

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