‘Atlas of pesticides’ points to excesses in Brazil and South America, says French newspaper

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Research shows that 49% of pesticides sold in Brazil are extremely dangerous for human and animal health and for ecosystems. The use of pesticides can cause serious health risks SES/Disclosure The Heinrich Böll Foundation, from Germany, and several French organizations have just published the “Atlas of Agrochemicals”, which they produced in partnership. The results of the study, detailed in this Tuesday’s edition (16) of the French newspaper Libération, point to the damage caused by these products in the world. On the world map published by Libération, South America is the world champion continent in the use of pesticides. The region is mentioned for having doubled, in 20 years, the use of pesticides in its crops. In 2020, 770,393 tons of pesticides were consumed in the region, 119.4% more than in 1999. The atlas shows that “49% of pesticides sold in Brazil are extremely dangerous” for human and animal health and for ecosystems. The region consumes more than Asia, ranked second in the world. LEARN MORE: Approval of pesticides in Brazil breaks annual record since 2016 The publication recalls the weight of the four largest pesticide companies in the world – Syngenta, Bayer, Corteva and BASF –, which control 70% of the international market. The scandal of chemical products whose use is banned in the European Union (EU), but which are still produced for export, and return to the dishes of the bloc’s population, is particularly highlighted in the atlas. This is the case of the Brazilian green lemon, quotes Libération. Recently, the NGO Greenpeace revealed that out of 50 samples of green lemon imported from Brazil, sold in European supermarkets, almost all of the samples had residues of pesticides banned in Europe. In December, highlights Libération, the majority of French citizens (88%) and Germans (82%) spoke out in favor of banning the use of these products, according to a survey by the Ipsos institute. The majority of the population in both countries is aware of the risks that pesticides pose to health. Despite the economic difficulties that a ban can pose, more than three quarters of respondents believed that “more support for farmers” in the EU is needed to reduce the use of plant protection products. ALSO READ: Hormones, insects, viruses: understand how biological pesticides can be alternatives to pesticides Lula wants Brazil to produce more fertilizers; find out if the country can stop being dependent on foreign countries The French version of the “Atlas of Pesticides” dedicates several pages to the situation in France. The areas of viticulture, fruit and cereal cultivation are the most affected by the use of pesticides, while mountainous regions and extensive livestock are more protected. Reducing the use of fungicides in French vineyards is considered a challenge by the authors of the atlas, although the production of organic wines registers progress. Why is food production so dependent on pesticides? Decline of birds in Europe Intensive agriculture, which resorts to the use of fertilizers and pesticides, is identified as the main cause of another phenomenon described in the French press. Europe has lost, in 40 years, 25% of its birds, the equivalent of 800 million birds, according to the largest scientific study ever carried out on the subject, published in the scientific journal PNAS. Every year, 20 million birds die on the continent, reports the newspaper Les Echos. In addition to intensive agriculture, the increase in terrestrial temperature and urbanization contribute to this phenomenon of bird decline, whose slow death threatens all ecosystems. Understand food production in Brazil: g1 explores the açaí route from the forest in the Amazon to the factory in SP Where does organic food come from Learn about the process of transforming cocoa into chocolate

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