April - May 2006
1. PAN Europe activities
Advance notice of PAN Europe Annual Conference 2006
In collaboration with SANA, Legambiente and the Italian Organic
Farming Association (AIAB) we will be holding our Network Annual
Conference for members and other supporters 7-9 September
in Bologna, Italy. The conference will be held at the same
time and site as SANA, one the largest organic fairs in the world
and it will also be an excellent opportunity to visit this fair.
The central theme for this years’ conference is Integrated
Crop Management/Integrated Pest Management and alternatives for
the reduction of pesticide use from the point of view of producers,
retailers and consumers, with a special emphasis in Italian/regional
examples. We will also hold our Network Annual General Meeting on
the 8th September and an optional field trip on the 9 September.
Pesticide Use Reduction working group meeting
We will be holding our next Pesticide Use Reduction working group
meeting 19-20 June in Brussels. The first day will
be dedicated to a workshop with external speakers presenting and
debating the new EU Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of
Pesticides. The second day is reserved for NGO participants and
will be dedicated to strategy and planning for the months ahead.
Phase-out of Critical Uses of Methyl Bromide
The European Commission has finalised the “European Community
Management Strategy for the Phase-Out of Critical Uses of Methyl
Bromide”, a requirement from the Montreal Protocol. PAN
Europe asked the Commission to be involved as a stakeholder in this
process and has been advocating for stricter measures to reduce
critical uses of methyl bromide and the promotion of non-chemical
alternatives and Integrated Pest Management. The EC Strategy is
a good background document with abundant information on existing
methyl bromide uses and the progress of phase-out in EU but fails
in presenting concrete measures to completely phase-out alternatives
in the most critical countries (Italy, Spain, Greece, France and
UK). It also fails in promoting non-chemical alternatives in a moment
where many of the chemical substitutes for methyl bromide in use
have serious health and environmental hazards and might not be registered
under a more strict pesticides Regulation. There is no single substance
or technique that can act as a substitute for methyl bromide and
Integrated Pest Management should be the first approach in crop
protection.
The Strategy is a living document that will be updated regularly.
The next revision is due before the end of the year and PAN Europe
will continue to advocate for these measures.
New Pesticide Use Reduction in Europe campaign coordinator
Grazia Cioci was appointed the new PURE- Pesticide Use Reduction
in Europe campaign coordinator. She will be working in Brussels
based in the EEB- European Environmental Bureau office. Her contact
details are:
C/o European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
34 Bd. de Waterloo
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: +32 (0)2 790 8819 (direct)/+32 (0)2 289 1090/Fax: +32 (0)2
289 1099
2. Published news and information
Approval of active ingredients in EU review
The EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH)
has approved one new active ingredient: the fungicide
dimoxystrobin. The SCFCAH also voted for the inclusion of
eight existing active ingredients to Annex I: the plant
growth regulator trinexapac, the herbicides clopyralid (acute toxic,
potential groundwater contaminant), triclopyr and dichlorprop-p
(acute toxic, possible carcinogen, possible groundwater contaminant),
the fungicides cyropanidil, fosetyl aluminium (acute toxic, potential
groundwater contaminant), metconazole and pyrimethanil.
Six substances were excluded from Annex I and
will be removed from the EU market: the herbicides dimethenamid
and alachlor (carcinogen, groundwater contaminant, developmental
or reproductive toxin and suspected endocrine disruptor) and ammonium
sulfamate, and the fungicides hexaconazole, sodium tetrathiocarbonate
(STTC) (whose breakdown product acts as developmental or reproductive
toxin) and 8-hydroxyquinoline.
How organic farming is creating more jobs and revitalising
rural economies in the UK
Results from the most comprehensive survey comparing employment
on organic farms with that on non-organic farms shows that organic
farming is delivering 32% more jobs per farm on average across the
UK. The research was carried out by the Centre for Environment &
Society at Essex University and published by the Soil Association
and also discovered that the average age of organic farmers surveyed
was 49, seven years younger than their non-organic counterparts,
who average 56 years old. Organic farmers are also more optimistic
about the future of farming, with 64% expecting their family to
take on the farm compared to 51% for non-organic farmers. Organic
farmers seem to be more entrepreneurial, with three times as many
organic farms involved in direct or local marketing schemes compared
to non-organic farmers.
Pesticide Mixtures, Endocrine Disruption, and Amphibian
Declines: Are We Underestimating the Impact?
Amphibian populations are declining globally at an alarming rate.
Pesticides are among a number of proposed causes for these declines.
Although a sizable database examining effects of pesticides on amphibians
exists, the vast majority of these studies focus on toxicological
effects at relatively high doses. Few studies focus on effects such
as endocrine disruption at low concentrations. Further, most studies
focus examine exposures to a single substance. The present study
examined nine pesticides (four herbicides, two fungicides and three
insecticides) used on cornfields in the Midwest United States. Effects
of each pesticide or in combination in amphibian populations were
studied. Although some of the pesticides individually inhibited
larval growth and development, the pesticides mixtures had much
greater effects. Larval growth and development were retarded, but
most significantly, pesticide mixtures negated or reversed the typically
positive correlation between time to metamorphosis and size at metamorphosis
observed in controls.
This study revealed that that estimating ecological risk and the
impacts of pesticides on amphibians using studies that examine only
single pesticides at high concentrations may lead to gross underestimations
of the role of pesticides in amphibian declines.
Poor groundwater quality in Northern Italy due to herbicide
contamination
Herbicide groundwater pollution is a serious environmental problem
in Northern Italy. Data on herbicide pollution in groundwater are
rather scarce; monitoring data are based on single investigation,
focussing on limited area and on few compounds of interest. The
large number of approved active ingredients (approximately 600 chemicals)
makes it difficult to obtain accurate and actual information on
herbicide application in different countries, even if herbicides
are the second most important class of pesticides used in the European
Union. The results of a two-year monitoring campaign undertaken
in two areas intensively cultivated in Lombardy, Northern Italy,
showed a diffuse groundwater contamination due to active ingredients
and their metabolites. More than 50% of samples exceeded the threshold
limits and the most common substances were atrazine, terbuthylazine
and metolachlor, while DEA and DET metabolites were often characterised
by greater concentrations than their relative active principles.
High levels of organochlorine pesticides found in serum
from students in Portugal
In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2001, in an attempt to evaluate the contamination
level of a Portuguese population, organochlorine pesticide residues
were evaluated in human serum from students of the University of
Coimbra. Concentrations of selected organochlorine pollutants (alpha-,
beta-, and gamma-HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, HE, HCB, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT,
p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD) and endosulfan sulfate were measured with the
objective to point out the general levels of pesticide contamination
and the differences between gender and or the residence area of
the subjects. Endosulfan sulfate, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDD
were the most frequently identified residues. Endosulfan sulfate
present the highest concentrations for all subjects, with concentrations
ranging from undetected to 1,295.5mug/l. Between DDT, isomers, and
analogues, o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDT presented the highest levels,
24.8 and 21.9mug/l, respectively. The mean concentration of organochlorine
pesticide residues, present in the student populations, showed that
it is among the highest levels of contamination, when compared with
others from Europe, Asia, and America.
Domestic use of biocides in the UK
Several epidemiological studies, particularly from the United States,
have suggested health concerns may arise from the chronic exposure
of young children to pesticides in their home environment. Most
of these studies are retrospective and the available pesticide exposure
information is either subject to the problem of recall or derived
from surrogate information. Currently, little is known about the
extent of pesticide use in homes and gardens in the UK. This was
investigated in this study using a sample of parents from the Avon
Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort in and
around Bristol. The level and extent of pesticide use by parents
was explored through interviews that took place at the homes of
the participants during August to November 2001, followed by an
inventory of products stored in the home. From the results, 93%
of parents had used at least one pesticide over the preceding year
with the highest use being in the garden, second inside the home,
followed by treating pets and head lice. Most households reported
using one to five different products over the past year, with a
mean of 3.5. The frequency of pesticide use showed that a minority
of parents is using pesticides in the high frequency range. Over
85 different pesticide products were found to be stored in 76% of
homes, with 76 different types of pesticide active ingredients.
Insecticides were the most commonly used and stored type of pesticide.
Resource guide on acutely toxic pesticides
The IFCS- International Forum on Chemical Safety has published a
web based resource guide entitled “Acutely Toxic Pesticides-
a global guide to resources”. It is intended to provide information
and guidance for implementation of the Forum IV Recommendation which
recognized that poisoning of pesticide users and their communities,
especially agricultural workers and small farmers in developing
countries must be prevented. National governments should also provide
with guidance for sound risk management and reduction actions, in
particular those related to acutely toxic pesticides.
Registration of methyl bromide substitute withdrawn
in the US
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn its plan
to approve methyl iodide, a highly toxic fumigant for strawberries
and other high-value crops after California officials, labour unions,
environmentalists and others objected that nearby residents and
farm workers could be in danger. The new pesticide is designed to
replace methyl bromide, which is banned under the Montreal Protocol.
Methyl iodide evaporates from the soil, exposing farm workers during
application, and small amounts can drift off fields into nearby
communities. In animal tests, breathing large doses of methyl iodide
killed foetuses, caused thyroid tumours, damaged respiratory tracts
and altered thyroid hormones, which can disrupt the development
of infants' brains. Scientists at the California Department of Pesticide
Regulation raised numerous health concerns about methyl iodide,
which the state has declared a cancer-causing chemical. The substance
will be reviewed again next year, and even if the EPA does register
it, it cannot be used in California unless the state agency approves
it.
Methyl iodide is not yet for approval in Europe but Spain, for
example, is conducting experiments with the substance to evaluate
its suitability as a substitute for methyl bromide.
Agrochemical companies battle for Polish market share
Poland is a desirable market for multinational agrochemical companies
and since joining the EU companies have invested massively in promotional
campaigns in the country. Overseas companies are now investing three
times as much in promotion compared to domestic companies. But although
large companies like BASF and Bayer CropScience are increasingly
recognized by farmers, their market share is still comparatively
small compared to domestic companies. Polish farmers still favour
product brands from domestic companies, not only for the price but
also familiarity with polish products that have been on the market
for a number of years.
Suicide, suicide attempts and pesticides: a major hidden
public health problem
With nearly 900,000 deaths from suicide every year worldwide, suicide
takes more lives than homicides and wars combined. Added to these
deaths are the many non-fatal suicide attempts. In the absence of
national registries or reliable hospital-based systems for recording
suicide attempts, a large-scale study was conducted by the WHO Regional
Office for Europe to estimate the number of suicide attempts in
several European cities. The findings were compared with corresponding
national rates for completed suicides, and showed suicide attempt
rates to be 10–40 times higher than rates for completed suicides.
Perhaps even less well understood is the specific link between
suicide and pesticides, which is significant in rural areas generally
and in Asian countries in particular. It is estimated that in the
last 10 years between 60–90% of suicides in China, Malaysia,
Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago were by pesticide ingestion.
More recently, WHO has received reports of a growing number of suicides
due to pesticide ingestion in many other Asian countries and in
Central and South American countries (e.g. Brazil, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Guyana, Nicaragua and Paraguay). This may well mean that
the global number of suicide deaths is considerably higher than
currently estimated, and clearly makes pesticide ingestion the most
common method of suicide on a worldwide basis.
New FAO Guidelines on Compliance and Enforcement of
a Pesticide Regulatory Programme
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) Guidelines
encourage responsible trade practices and assist countries in establishing
controls to regulate the quality and suitability of pesticide products
and to address the safe handling and use of such products. The guidelines
include such topics as: registration and control of pesticides;
legislation; personal protection for those working with pesticides;
good labelling practices; pesticide storage and stock control; tender
procedures for the procurement of pesticides; etc. These documents
are frequently the basis for the development of policies and practices
in countries looking to initiate or improve a pesticide management
scheme.
This publication on compliance and enforcement contains theoretical
examples of various problems faced by governments at different levels
of 'development', and how they might deal with various problems.
It encourages enforcement and monitoring of implementation of pesticide
regulatory systems. It has two useful annexes, one dealing with
legal tools and instruments and a second with developing enforcement
capacity focusing on institutional back up.
Many of the 30 or more Guidelines that underpin the FAO International
Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides need updating.
The links to new guidelines, state of revisions, and priorities
for update will soon be available on: http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/code/guide.htm
3. News from PAN Europe partners
Legambiente launches “Pesticides in the plate
2006 Report”
Every year Legambiente publishes a report entitled “Pesticides
in the Plate” analysing the levels of pesticides residues
in fresh fruits and vegetables in Italy. In 2006, and in comparison
with previous years, the number of samples exceeding the maximum
residue levels decreased and the number of samples without residues
increased. The underlying problem continues to be the high number
of samples with multiple residues (up to seven different pesticides
residues) and the unknown effects of low levels/multiple residues
of pesticides in food, especially for sensitive groups such as children.
Residues of banned pesticides were found, including one sample of
fruit with DDT residues in Lombardy.
In a press conference in the headquarters of Legambiente in Roma,
Francesco Ferrante (Director General of Legambiente), Rina Guadagnini
(Scientific Coordinator of the Agriculture Programme of Legambiente)
and Sofia Parente (PAN Europe Coordinator) called for a national
programme to reduce pesticide use and for the development of methodologies
to address low levels of multiple pesticide residues and the effects
on vulnerable groups such as children.
New French campaigns alert to the dangers of pesticide
residues in food
France is the third country in terms of pesticide use volume in
the world and the first in Europe. Two French environmental organisations,
the Federation France Nature Environment (FNE) and the Movement
for the Rights and the Respect of Future Generations (MDRGF) launched
simultaneous information campaigns about the presence of pesticides
in food. Both organisations chose an apple as the symbol for their
campaign after they estimated the fruit received an average of 27
treatments of pesticides before reaching the supermarket shelf.
MDRGF insists this type of contamination is the entry door of a
cocktail of substances, many of them with carcinogenic, endocrine
disruptor and neurotoxic properties. MDRGF is also launching a petition
for zero pesticides residues in food while FNE launches a petition
asking for an independent report studying the dispersion of pesticides
in the environment and a tax on pesticides in France.
PAN Germany briefing on maximum residue levels
Since March 2005, the regulation on the harmonization of pesticide
residue levels in food requires special protection of children and
the unborn. However, a recent PAN Germany briefing entitled “The
Myth of Safe Fruit and Vegetables”, reveals a number of open
questions and clearly shows that actually many maximum residue levels
put children at risk. PAN Germany calculated 60 unsafe maximum residue
levels in 13 major commodities such as apples, pears, grapes and
strawberries.
The briefing paper aims to raise awareness within civil society
of the fact that the current process of EU harmonization of pesticide
levels in food presents a big chance to lower chemicals risks. PAN
Germany calls upon the responsible authorities to protect children
and the unborn, to set priority of public health over international
standards mostly serving free trade and to inform the public about
the ongoing harmonization process.
The Paris Appeal celebrates its second anniversary
The Paris Appeal was proclaimed two years ago on May 7 2004, during
the international colloquium organized by ARTAC, on the theme «
Cancer, Environment and Society ». The idea for the Paris
Appeal arose from the determination to mobilize much more firmly
and broadly the medical profession, scientists, academic authorities,
as well as NGOs and citizens, to appreciate the health repercussions
of chemical pollution. Beyond the undeniable fact of contemporary
diseases and exposure to chemical pollutants, the target was to
prompt authorities to act and legislate to protect people, in particular
the most vulnerable.
As next steps, ARTAC will continue to circulate the Appeal in order
to obtain one million signatures and will continue to unite scientists
and NGOs, but also all the entities that feel concerned by health
and environmental issues. Finally, it will create a Paris Appeal
support committee open to NGOs and scientists who wish to join and
organise the second European congress of the Paris Appeal, on the
theme «Health, environment and sustainable development».
It will take place on November 9, 2006, at UNESCO, Paris.
Greenpeace Germany unveils record highs for pesticides
residues in EU fruit and vegetables
Unpublished EU Commission data shows that contamination by pesticides
residues in food of plant origin consumed in the European Union
rose to record levels in 2004. 47 per cent of fruit and vegetable
samples were contaminated by pesticides – three per cent more
than in 2003. The Commission's monitoring programme records pesticide
residues in over 60,000 food samples taken throughout the EU. In
a press release launched on the 1st of June, Greenpeace called on
the German government to make a plan for immediate measures to bring
down pesticide residues in food. Consumers must be informed about
contaminated food without delay through the consumer information
law planned, and food controls by the federal states be tightened.
A pesticide use reduction programme agreed by the German government
and states committed them back in 2004 to bring down the percentage
of food of plant origin in which legal limits were exceeded to less
than one per cent – from the eight per cent at present in
Germany. But so far not even a plan of action for achieving this
goal has been made. Greenpeace advises consumers to buy organic
produce since this is as a rule free from pesticides. The German
organisation's consumer guides on food without pesticide and pesticides
from supermarkets can be ordered from Greenpeace by calling +49
40 30618 120 (Guides are in German only).
This PAN Europe Newsletter was compiled by Sofia Parente
Contributions are welcome from PAN Europe network members, PURE
supporters and individuals.
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