Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday called on Brazilian lawmakers to reject a proposed law to relax regulations on the use of pesticides as it published a report blaming powerful landowners for the poisoning of rural residents.

"Rather than weakening its law further, Brazil urgently needs a plan to reduce its use of highly hazardous pesticides," Richard Pearhouse, the report's author, told AFP.

HRW's investigation examined cases of acute poisoning from pesticide drift in seven sites across Brazil.

It found that people in many exposed communities fear reprisals from wealthy and politically powerful landowners who operate in relative impunity.

"Across rural Brazil, pesticides sprayed on large plantations are poisoning villagers in their backyards and children in their classrooms," said Pearhouse, adding "people who denounce pesticide poisonings fear threats and retaliations if they speak up."

"The authorities need to stop this toxic exposure and ensure people who denounce pesticide policies are kept safe," he said.

Dubbed the "poison law" by its detractors, the bill was drafted by current Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi, who is also an agri-food magnate, when he was a senator.

The text was adopted at the end of June by a special parliamentary committee, and must now go before the legislature's lower house.

It calls for shifting the task of certifying pesticides from the health and environment ministries to the agriculture ministry. It also replaces the word "pesticide" with "phytosanitary product."

A leading agricultural power, Brazil has been the world's biggest user of pesticides since 2008, according to the Brazilian Association of Collective Health.

According to Pearhouse, four of the 10 most used pesticides in Brazil are banned in Europe. HRW's report also criticized the lack of reliable official data on poisonings.

Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Researchers engineer bacteria to create fertilizer out of thin air
Saint Louis MO (SPX) Jul 19, 2018
In the future, plants will be able to create their own fertilizer. Farmers will no longer need to buy and spread fertilizer for their crops, and increased food production will benefit billions of people around the world, who might otherwise go hungry. These statements may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but new research by Washington University in St. Louis scientists show that it might soon be possible to engineer plants to develop their own fertilizer. This discovery could h ... read more