Corporations and Pesticides Barbara Dinham 2005 Sienna Nesser

Companies and their Markets 1960s and ’70s- pesticide business profitable and growing – Average growth of 10% per year 1990s- average growth of.6% per year – Limited room for US, EU, and Japanese market expansion

Companies and their Markets Slowing market growth led to mergers and consolidation % of market controlled by 6 companies – Syngenta, Bayer, Monsanto, BASF, Dow, and DuPont

Halving of Major Agrochemical Companies

Companies and their Markets Agrochemical industry association- CropLife International Included both pesticides and agricultural biotechnology GM seeds prove much more profitable than pesticides Led to promotion of seed/pesticide packages

Corporate Research Budgets and Spheres of Influence Costly research – Companies had to stay ahead to be successful Advertisement important role in sales – ’s- science – ’s- domination of nature – 1990’s- harmony with nature Global South became a target market after US market leveled off

Growing Markets in Developing Countries International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (FAO Code of Conduct) – Developed 1995 to protect human health and environment – Condition of membership for CropLife International

Growing Markets in Developing Countries Industrialized countries required to register active ingredient – EU removed 320 registrations in 2003 Unregistered pesticide can still be sold to unindustrialized countries – Led to growth of pesticide use in Asian region including China, Vietnam, and Philippines Another paradox within the food system – Major markets seem to be industrialized countries – Unindustrialized countries spend higher percentage of income on pesticides

Growing Markets in Developing Countries Information about pesticides comes from companies and retailers – But village pesticide dealers know little about the pesticides they sell Farmers are uninformed about how to use pesticides effectively or safely

The FAO Code of Conduct and Company Product Stewardship Revised in 2002 – ‘Prohibition of the importation, sale and purchase of highly toxic and hazardous products, such as those included in WHO classes 1a and 1b (35) may be desirable’ – ‘Pesticides whose handling and application require the use of personal protective equipment that is uncomfortable, expensive or not readily available should be avoided’ – ‘IPM emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agroecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms’

The FAO Code of Conduct and Company Product Stewardship Voluntary, and somewhat influential Pledges have been made (and then broken) to address pesticide poisoning in Global South Legal action has been successful – But not in Global South

Training in the ‘Safe Use’ of Pesticides Guatemala –.05% levy on imported pesticides used to train 800 government agents 226,000 farmers 2,800 school teachers 67,000 school children 700 pesticide distributor employees 330 technical and sales people 2000 physicians an health personnel – Temporary change

Training in the ‘Safe Use’ of Pesticides There is no such thing as ‘Safe Use’ Dangerous pesticides should be banned from the market Rhone Poulenc education campaign encouraged pesticide use with twice the toxicity than pesticides previously used Cotton farmer field school in Mali- replacing pesticides with neem oil resulted in 33% higher revenue