PAN Europe - News

News

Pesticides Updates

15 April 2008
UNESCO: Global farming 'must change'
A new report published by UNESCO recommends urgent changes to the way food is produced, including a move towards more sustainable farming practices such as crop rotation and use of organic fertilisers.
- News story
- UNESCO summary

8 April 2008
US Government sued after approving 4 hazardous pesticides
Environment and farmworker advocates file a law suit against the Bush administration for allowing the continued use of four pesticides, saying the government brushed aside its own findings that the chemicals are dangerous to workers, children and wildlife.
- News story

28 March 2008
New evidence: Pesticides cause Parkinson's
Strong evidence that exposure to pesticides significantly increases the risk of Parkinson's disease is published by the BMC Neurology journal. US researchers found those exposed to pesticides had a 1.6 times higher risk after studying 600 people.
- News story
- BMC Neurology

20 February 2008
Neurotoxins Linked to Brain Disorders
50 top scientists and health professionals endorse a statement highlighting links between childhood exposure to pesticides and developmental disorders in children.
- Press Release
- Institute for Children's Environmental Health

1 February 2008
France bans 30 pesticides
The French government bans 30 chemicals used in 1,500 pesticide products as part of a plan to cut pesticide use in half over the next 10 years. Another 20 active ingredients will be banned by year's end.
- Reuters

25 January 2008
New Zealand man wins compensation for brain damage caused by vineyard herbicides
A brain-damaged man in New Zealand has won his battle for compensation after suffering brain damage following exposure to herbicides applied to vineyards near his home.
- News story

8 January 2008
Spanish study feeds into pesticide controversy
Researchers in Granada find more evidence of widespread pesticide contamination. 387 Spanish citizens tested for traces of pesticides all showed levels of contamination.
- News story

1 January 2008
Female farm workers at higher risk of asthma
Researchers at the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences find that farm women who apply or mix pesticides have a 50% higher incidence of allergic asthma.
- News story

29 December 2007
Paraquat phase out in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka endorses a 3 year phase out for paraquat, based on the very high mortality rate due to paraquat poisoning.
- News story

20 December 2007
Indoor pesticide use during pregnancy linked to child cancer
A French study confirms that pregnant women using pesticides at home are twice as likely to have children who will develop leukaemia or lymphoma.
- Environmental Health Perspectives

13 December 2007
Lindane banned in Chile
PAN Chile celebrates victory as Health Secretary announces a ban on lindane.
- News story

28 January 2007
Andalusian farmers slash pesticide use
Europe's biggest agricultural region, Andalusia, drastically reduces pesticide use. 11,500 ha of farmland are converted to IPM.
- Hortyfruta homepage