Devastating UN report: 200,000 people die annually due to pesticide poisoning

The UN report of 24 January states that the worldwide average of 200,000 people a year die due to toxic exposure to pesticides .It is pointed out that pesticides have disastrous effects on human health and the environment, and are not very effective aid in the prevention of hunger in the world

The report said that although pesticides are put in correlation with an increase in crop yields, they did not help to prevent hunger in the world, moreover, "reliance on hazardous pesticides is a short-term solution that violate the right to adequate food and the health of present and future generations".

Also, according to a number of dangerous diseases that are associated with pesticides, such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, hormonal disorders, birth defects, sterility and neurological effects.It has been reported that in some countries, mortality due to pesticide poisoning and higher than the rate of mortality caused by infectious diseases.The report sharply blames global corporations that produce pesticides for "systematic denial of damages," "aggressive, unethical marketing tactics" and lobbying governments to "obstruct reform and preventing global limits of pesticides".

It emphasizes that the extent of poisoning scary because people can be exposed to dangerous levels of pesticides in various ways, from the contact with pesticides through the use of the crop, then through food, air and water until the babies will drink contaminated breast milk.It was also stated that these industries often use the term "intentional misuse" wanting to put the blame on users, but it is quite clear that the responsibility for the protection of users and others throughout the life cycle of pesticides as well as through retail chains is only the manufacturers of pesticides.

Featured are powerful effects on the environment or how pesticides pollute the environment with unpredictable ecological consequences. In addition, the impact and the reduction of biodiversity and reduce the population of pests which disrupts the complex balance in nature.In the end, the UN calls for strengthening of global regulation of substances intended for the control of weeds or pests, but should be added that without better informing the population and raising awareness of the damaging effects of pesticides will not achieve much.

• 20 Mar, 2017
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