Stop Paraquat: Citizens around the World condemn Syngenta
 Zurich, 06.11.2006 - The campaign to stop the Syngenta pesticide paraquat is gathering support around the world. The International Union of Agricultural Workers' Associations (IUF), the 2005 Alternative Nobel Prize Laureate Irene Fernandez of Malaysia, and a representative of the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate said at a press conference in Switzerland that paraquat no longer has a place in agriculture because the highly toxic product of the Swiss agrochemical corporation had claimed too many victims already. Seeking to increase the pressure on Syngenta the Berne Declaration (BD) has called a “public proceeding”. |
In German-speaking countries the public proceeding in the paraquat case started in early October. Almost 20'000 people have condemned Syngenta’s paraquat policies on www.stop-paraquat.net. „By marketing paraquat primarily to countries where it is not used according to instructions, Syngenta is acting with gross negligence and is complicit in ten thousands of poisonings every year“ says BD-expert François Meienberg.
Sue Longley, coordinator of the International Union of Agricultural Workers' Associations (IUF) representing over 2.5 million people in 125 countries, explains why her members overwhelmingly oppose paraquat: “On banana plantations in Central America, palm oil plantations in South East Asia, and in many African countries workers suffer from the effects of paraquat on their health. The product must be banned worldwide.”
Irene Fernandez, Right Livelihood Award Winner and Chairperson of the Pesticide Action Network Asia & the Pacific, has been fighting the use of paraquat in her home country for many years. A ban proclaimed by the Malaysian government in 2002 was never implemented – for various reasons, including an intervention by Syngenta. „Syngenta must be held accountable, at last, for the health damage caused by paraquat”, Fernandez insists.
Sweden outlawed paraquat back in 1983 and in 2004 filed an appeal to the European Court against a decision of the European Commission to re-approve paraquat for Europe. „Sweden has the opinion that we have a global responsibility to send clear signals that paraquat is not safe to use - neither in Europe nor in developing countries“, said Kirsti Siirala, a representative of the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate, at the press conference.
For more information please contact:
François Meienberg, Campaign Director, Berne Declaration, Tel. +41 44 277 70 04, food[at]evb.ch
or
Oliver Classen, Media Officer, Berne Declaration, Tel. +41 44 277 70 06, medien[at]evb.ch
Sue Longley, coordinator of the International Union of Agricultural Workers' Associations (IUF) representing over 2.5 million people in 125 countries, explains why her members overwhelmingly oppose paraquat: “On banana plantations in Central America, palm oil plantations in South East Asia, and in many African countries workers suffer from the effects of paraquat on their health. The product must be banned worldwide.”
Irene Fernandez, Right Livelihood Award Winner and Chairperson of the Pesticide Action Network Asia & the Pacific, has been fighting the use of paraquat in her home country for many years. A ban proclaimed by the Malaysian government in 2002 was never implemented – for various reasons, including an intervention by Syngenta. „Syngenta must be held accountable, at last, for the health damage caused by paraquat”, Fernandez insists.
Sweden outlawed paraquat back in 1983 and in 2004 filed an appeal to the European Court against a decision of the European Commission to re-approve paraquat for Europe. „Sweden has the opinion that we have a global responsibility to send clear signals that paraquat is not safe to use - neither in Europe nor in developing countries“, said Kirsti Siirala, a representative of the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate, at the press conference.
For more information please contact:
François Meienberg, Campaign Director, Berne Declaration, Tel. +41 44 277 70 04, food[at]evb.ch
or
Oliver Classen, Media Officer, Berne Declaration, Tel. +41 44 277 70 06, medien[at]evb.ch
