Protecting Communities Exposed to Agrochemicals

In 2018, FUNDEPS, in collaboration with other civil society organizations, made several reports to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) for its session No. 64.

Among other observations linked to ESCR issues, we criticized the current system of agricultural production, emphasizing the multiple effects on the right to health derived from the use of agrochemicals. We did recommendations regarding the adoption of a national law to regulate the use and application of agrochemicals, and we requested the revision and adaptation of national and provincial regulations to the new categories established by the WHO regarding the classification of agrochemicals. In addition, we recommend the adoption of measures to minimize the impact of the use of these chemical products for agricultural use and the performance of periodic epidemiological evaluations.

After analyzing the national report presented by the Argentine State, as well as the information received from civil society organizations, the UN Committee on Economic Rights, Social and Cultural, released its concluding observations on September evaluating Argentina’s implementation of the International Covenant.

Regarding agriculture, the environment and health, the Committee expressed concern about the increase in the use of pesticides and herbicides that include glyphosate, despite the serious adverse impacts on health and the environment of many of them, indicated as probably carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the WHO.

In this regard, the Committee recommended that Argentina adopt a regulatory framework that includes the application of the precautionary principle regarding the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides, particularly those that include glyphosate, to prevent negative impacts on health.

Committee's concluding observations were in the same line that our recommendations and it provides tools for us to demand that the Argentine State to enforce human rights standards in the area of ESCR.

Links:

• About the presented report:
• About the ESCR Committee Observations

In the beginning of October, we organized a workshop about agrochemicals, health and environment" in Colonia Tirolesa, a town located in the center of the province Córdoba. Its main economic activity is agriculture, in particular to the production of potato, soybean and corn. The meeting was an opportunity to continue learning from the experience of communities living near cropfields that are frequently sprayed with pesticides. During this encounter, community members expressed their concerns and feelings on problems, including diseases affecting them.

In addition, members of the "Epidemiology Group of Worthy Science" ("Grupo de Epidemiologia de la Ciencia Digna") from Cordoba and Buenos Aires, shown the results of the of the Environmental Health Surveys carried out in May 2017 in the neighborhood Estación Colonia Tirolesa, which includes about 76 families. The survey was designed to contribute to the visibilization of the health problems suffered by people who are exposed to risks and environmental damage, thus strengthening the fight against the hegemonic model of agricultural production. One of the most striking findings was that, in the past 20 years, the major causes of death were malignant tumors (30%) and respiratory diseases (22%), leaving cardiovascular diseases (19%) to the third place, being this one the main cause of death al national level.

FUNDEPS participated in the workshop by developing capacity-building among the community regarding their right to health and a healthy environment. We were in charge of teaching these rights and how the community members are able to claim for them. Also, we introduced them the possibility to present a local bill to ban the use of chemicals in crops near populated areas, to increase the protection they already have because of the provincial law.

There were also discussions around alternative ways of production, which do not harm the health or the environment, promoted by a local agricultural engineer. His talk focused on agro-ecological practices and how to apply those practices in the field.

Even though community members know that pesticides affect their health and environment, they were not actually aware until the results of the survey were shown. Beginning to take a real awareness of the dangers involved to being exposed permanently to agrochemicals, resulted on a very mobilizing event.

Also, during October, the environmental team of FUNDEPS met with neighbors of Falda del Carmen, another town in the center of the province, in order to further assist them in developing advocacy strategies. Taking into account that for the last year they reported health problems, related to the agrochemical spreading nearby fields, we considered necessary to start taking action together.