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Corporations and Pesticides

Corporations and Pesticides. Barbara Dinham 2005 Sienna Nesser. Companies and their Markets. 1960s and ’70s- pesticide business profitable and growing Average growth of 10% per year 1990s- average growth of .6% per year Limited room for US, EU, and Japanese market expansion.

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Corporations and Pesticides

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  1. Corporations and Pesticides Barbara Dinham 2005 Sienna Nesser

  2. Companies and their Markets • 1960s and ’70s- pesticide business profitable and growing • Average growth of 10% per year • 1990s- average growth of .6% per year • Limited room for US, EU, and Japanese market expansion

  3. Companies and their Markets • Slowing market growth led to mergers and consolidation • 2005- 75-80% of market controlled by 6 companies • Syngenta, Bayer, Monsanto, BASF, Dow, and DuPont

  4. Halving of Major Agrochemical Companies

  5. Companies and their Markets • 2001- Agrochemical industry association- CropLife International • Included both pesticides and agricultural biotechnology • GM seeds prove much more profitable than pesticides • Led to promotion of seed/pesticide packages

  6. Corporate Research Budgets and Spheres of Influence • Costly research • Companies had to stay ahead to be successful • Advertisement important role in sales • 1940-60’s- science • 1970-80’s- domination of nature • 1990’s- harmony with nature • Global South became a target market after US market leveled off

  7. Growing Markets in Developing Countries • International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (FAO Code of Conduct) • Developed 1995 to protect human health and environment • Condition of membership for CropLife International

  8. Growing Markets in Developing Countries • Industrialized countries required to register active ingredient • EU removed 320 registrations in 2003 • Unregistered pesticide can still be sold to unindustrialized countries • Led to growth of pesticide use in Asian region including China, Vietnam, and Philippines • Another paradox within the food system • Major markets seem to be industrialized countries • Unindustrialized countries spend higher percentage of income on pesticides

  9. Growing Markets in Developing Countries • Information about pesticides comes from companies and retailers • But village pesticide dealers know little about the pesticides they sell • Farmers are uninformed about how to use pesticides effectively or safely

  10. The FAO Code of Conduct and Company Product Stewardship • Revised in 2002 • ‘Prohibition of the importation, sale and purchase of highly toxic and hazardous products, such as those included in WHO classes 1a and 1b (35) may be desirable’ • ‘Pesticides whose handling and application require the use of personal protective equipment that is uncomfortable, expensive or not readily available should be avoided’ • ‘IPM emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agroecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms’

  11. The FAO Code of Conduct and Company Product Stewardship • Voluntary, and somewhat influential • Pledges have been made (and then broken) to address pesticide poisoning in Global South • Legal action has been successful • But not in Global South

  12. Training in the ‘Safe Use’ of Pesticides • Guatemala • .05% levy on imported pesticides used to train 800 government agents • 226,000 farmers • 2,800 school teachers • 67,000 school children • 700 pesticide distributor employees • 330 technical and sales people • 2000 physicians an health personnel • Temporary change

  13. Training in the ‘Safe Use’ of Pesticides • There is no such thing as ‘Safe Use’ • Dangerous pesticides should be banned from the market • Rhone Poulenc education campaign encouraged pesticide use with twice the toxicity than pesticides previously used • Cotton farmer field school in Mali- replacing pesticides with neem oil resulted in 33% higher revenue

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