Voice of the Farmer: educating and informing citizens as a commitment to social and climate justice
Substances banned in Europe, still used elsewhere
Although the European Union has banned certain pesticides for over 20 years because of their devastating effects on human health and the environment, these same substances continue to be massively produced and exported to countries of the Global South, especially in Africa. Yet these products are linked to cancer, severe respiratory illnesses, and birth defects. This reality reveals a cruel paradox: protecting European citizens while exposing vulnerable populations elsewhere to the same dangers.
Damning investigation and public outcry
Unearthed and Public Eye conducted a year-long investigation revealing the scale of this toxic trade. The findings are alarming: instead of decreasing, exports of these banned pesticides have exploded, despite the EU’s formal 2020 promise to end this practice. Documents, data, and testimonies expose how multinational corporations bypass the law to the detriment of African people, with the passive complicity of European institutions.
An urgent call for environmental justice
In the face of this health and environmental scandal, activists and environmental organizations are stepping up to denounce these double-standard policies. A powerful video produced by Unearthed highlights the real dangers on the ground, calling for strong citizen mobilization to demand a total ban on the export of pesticides prohibited in Europe. Africa, as a prime target of this unequal trade, is calling for environmental justice, respect for human dignity, and an end to these dangerous neocolonial practices.
Editorial Team
