Researchers, carers and patients criticize government for sacrificing health

Researchers, carers, patient advocacy and environmental associations are criticizing the government’s new strategy to reduce pesticide use as a “policy of inaction” and calling for a “choice of public health over cancer”. World. “With its new Ecophyto plan, the government continues its twenty-year policy of inaction. affirmed) will continue,” says the article by this team.

Inaction of the authorities

Regarding the health effects of pesticides, the nearly 400 researchers, 200 caregivers, patient associations and environmentalists who signed them are the first to note “a strong suggestion of a link between exposure to some pesticides and the development of prostate cancer, lymphoma and leukemia.” listed in the table of occupational diseases.

They also note that exposure “in utero or early childhood in an occupational or household context also increases the risk of some childhood cancers” or that the most vulnerable populations live near areas of prevalence. The team also recalls the “contamination of the West Indian population with Chlordecone” and government inaction regarding this pesticide used in banana plantations, which is the cause of “persistent contamination of the entire food chain, associated with an increase in serious pathologies, including prostate cancer.

Short term interests

“We (…) who fight cancer every day cannot accept that public health is sacrificed to short-term interests. Appeasing the legitimate anger of the agricultural world by perpetuating its exposure to pesticides is not the solution,” they say.

Reaffirming that “there is still time for the government to reconsider its decisions,” the collective believes that “our political leaders must have the courage to choose public health over cancer.” The government on Monday defended itself against any environmental setbacks in its new Ecophyto 2030 pesticide reduction strategy, which was put on “pause” during the agricultural crisis and judged by non-governmental organizations to be insufficient to reduce the impact of these products on the environment.