10
Aug
Bayer Says It Will Stop Sale of Endosulfan by 2010
(Beyond Pesticides, August 10, 2009) The multinational chemical company Bayer has stated that it will end distribution of the pesticide endosulfan in 2010, and to replace the toxic pesticide with safer alternatives. The decision follows an innovative action in 16 countries, led by Pants to Poverty, the organic and Fairtrade underwear company, and its coalition of partners including Pesticide Action Network, Fairtrade Alliance Kerala and Zameen Organic.
In a letter addressed to Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, Bayer said: “We plan to stop the sale of the substance endosulfan by the end of 2010 in all the countries where it is still legally available.” The letter, signed by Bayer CropScience’s head of investor relations, Judith Nestmann, said endosulfan would be replaced by alternatives “with a significantly better risk profile”.
Bayer’s decision comes after years of global campaigning by the PAN Network and its partners and allies against this persistent pesticide, which is linked to autism, birth defects and male reproductive harm, as well as deaths and acute injuries to farmers through direct contact. It is banned in over 60 countries including those in the European Union. In the United States endosulfan is used primarily on cotton in the state of California and tomatoes in Florida. Several lawsuits and legal petitions have been filed by groups, including Beyond Pesticides, concerned about the chemical’s health effects.
In this latest action, in 16 centers around the world, people exchanged their conventional undies for a free pair of organic underwear, and signaled their commitment to cotton production without the use of endosulfan. The conventional undies were sent to Bayer’s HQ with a demand that it ceases to distribute endosulfan.
Linda Craig, Director of Pesticide Action Network UK, said, “We are pleased that Bayer has committed to stop selling endosulfan. There are many proven alternatives to its use that do not have the deadly side effects of this pesticideâ€.
Staff scientist Karl Tupper of PAN North America said “With Bayer stepping out of the picture, this leaves just handful of generic manufactures selling this poison. We call on these companies to put health and the environment ahead of the meager profits they earn pushing this antiquated pesticide, and stop their sales. It’s the only responsible thing to do.â€
“Nine countries in West Africa have taken the resolution to ban the use of endosulfan in agriculture because of the serious effects observed on farmers and their families, and on the environment. It is necessary to continue to push for the total ban of this product around the world†indicated Dr. Abou Thiam, regional coordinator of Pesticide Action Network Africa.
At the international level, endosulfan is being scrutinized at the Rotterdam Convention for stricter regulation and at the Stockholm Convention for an international ban due to its adverse effects on human health and the environment. PAN will continue to work to ensure that endosulfan is included in the list of chemicals that are banned globally.
However, progress is obstructed by the Government of India, as Dr. Meriel Watts, Coordinator of PAN Aotearoa New Zealand observes: “In India, the Government itself manufactures endosulfan — it owns Hindustan Insecticides which manufactures endosulfan, and then the Indian Government acts in the international conventions to stop endosulfan’s listing. It has members on both the Stockholm Convention’s POPS Review Committee and the Rotterdam Convention’s Chemical Review Committee. This is a “clear conflict of interestâ€, she says, “a manufacturer is using its power to veto international agreements on a chemical.â€
“Chemicals like endosulfan that are toxic, bioaccumulative and so persistent that they contaminate our bodies, our babies and the environment have no place in agriculture. We are calling on all governments and industries that still use, manufacture or trade in endosulfan to follow Bayer example and cease to profit from this toxic poison,†said Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith, Co-Chair of the International POPs Elimination Network.
Last week Beyond Pesticides reported on a new study that found that insecticides, such as endosulfan, used in highly populated agricultural areas of California’s Central Valley affect amphibians that breed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. The study adds to the increasing evidence that pesticides impact areas and wildlife species that are miles from sources of pesticide application. Earlier this year, two-headed bass found in the Noosa River were at the center of a controversy surrounding pesticide drift from neighboring farms in Queensland, Australia. The pesticides, endosulfan and carbendazim, were implicated in the contamination of the river, which has yielded thousands of chronically deformed fish.
Last month the Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its intent to file suit against the agency for failing to consider impacts to the polar bear and its Arctic habitat from toxic contamination resulting from pesticide use, including endosulfan, in the U.S that are known to be transported to the Arctic via various atmospheric, oceanic, and biotic pathways. Such pesticides are biomagnified with each step higher in the food web, reaching some of their greatest concentrations in polar bears, the apex predators of the Arctic.
For the more of the latest news and research findings on the chemical, see Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog on endosulfan.
Source: Pesticide Action Network North America
Bayer has never been active with Endosulfan. This economical and versatile IPM and IRM tool was first discovered by a company that Bayer has taken over. Bayer stands to gain most from bans on Endosulfan because no farmer would pay the premium for a substitute application of a patented neonicotinoid. European pesticide companies are notorious for belittling their own inventions once they lose monopoly rights. The toxicology profile of Endosulfan is not remarkable compared to competitive active ingredients.
August 11th, 2009 at 10:01 am