UN agency calls for faster disposal of toxic pesticide waste stocks
Regional, Environment, 5/10/2001

More than 500,000 tons of banned or expired pesticides are seriously threatening the health of millions of people and the environment in nearly all developing states and countries in transition, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned in a new report issued Wednesday.

According to FAO, the figures are dramatically higher than previous estimates of around 100,000 tons. In Asia, the quantities of obsolete pesticides are estimated at over 200,000 tons, in Africa and the Near East at over 100,000 tons, and in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union at more than 200,000 tons.

The agency is still preparing inventories for Latin America. "The lethal legacy of obsolete pesticides is alarming and urgent action is needed to clean up waste dumps," said Alemayehu Wodageneh, FAO expert on obsolete pesticides.

"These 'forgotten' stocks are not only a hazard to people's health but they also contaminate natural resources like water and soil. Leaking pesticides can poison a very large area, making it unfit for crop production."

The major pesticide producers are based in Europe, the United States, Japan, China and India.

In its new report, FAO calls upon chemical companies represented by the Global Crop Protection Federation (GCPF), to contribute urgently to the global disposal of pesticides produced by GCPF member companies. "Support from industry is crucial for the future disposal of pesticides because aid agencies of donor countries cannot cover all the costs without a substantial contribution from industry," Wodageneh said.

The report, which was co-published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), is being discussed at an international donor meeting in Rome this May 10-11.

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