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As appeared in the International Herald Tribune, 9 September 1998 A first line of defence against chemical hazardsby FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf and UNEP Executive
Director Klaus Toepfer
One of the promises of the industrial age has been "better living through chemistry". Most of the 100,000 chemicals and pesticides currently on the world market have indeed helped to improve our lives. At the same time, accidents and misuse have poisoned the environment and injured or killed many thousands of people, particularly in developing countries. Just one example is the widespread use of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in electrical transformers, capacitors, paints, and plastics. We now know that PCBs suppress the human immune system, are probable carcinogens, and cause developmental delays and behavioral problems in young children. But PCBs are already widespread in the environment and are being absorbed by untold numbers of people through food contamination. In addition, many old and highly toxic pesticides that have been banned or severely restricted in developed countries are still marketed and used in developing countries because of their low price. Distribution of pesticides is not regulated in most of these countries, control of toxic compounds is weak and there is a shortage of trained farmers and workers to handle them safely. Recent studies in Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia and Vietnam show that most farmers in developing countries simply cannot handle highly toxic pesticides in a safe manner. Protective clothing is often thought to be a solution. However, most farmers cannot afford to buy this or are unable to use and maintain it properly. Furthermore, in tropical countries under hot climate conditions, such clothing is too uncomfortable to wear. Similarly, over 100,000 tonnes of outdated and obsolete pesticide stocks have accumulated in many developing countries, some 15 to 20 percent of them in Africa. Leaking and corroding metal drums filled with dangerous pesticides dot the urban and rural landscapes, threatening drinking and irrigation water. The safe disposal of these stocks will prove a monumental task. Fortunately, international action to tackle these chemical risks is now accelerating. On 10-11 September in Rotterdam, ministers and senior officials will meet to adopt and sign the new Convention on International Trade in Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides. This agreement promises to establish a first line of defence against future tragedies. It will give countries the power to protect themselves against chemicals and pesticides that pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. The treaty requires that harmful chemicals and pesticides that have been banned or severely restricted in at least two countries shall not be exported unless explicitly agreed by the importing country. Other pesticides would be added to the list when it is evident that they are too dangerous to be used in developing countries. Countries are also obliged to stop the national production for those hazardous compounds. The Convention is an important step forward in helping governments to decide what chemicals they need while keeping out those they cannot manage safely. When trade remains permitted requirements for labelling and providing information on potential health and environmental risks will promote a safer use of these chemicals. Countries that have signed the treaty will be obliged to control commercial exports. Some of the chemicals covered by this new and legally binding treaty belong to a particularly toxic group of substances known as persistent organic pollutants, or POPs. For example, the pesticide DDT is still used to combat malaria in some regions even though it also poisons wildlife. Despite bans on use in many countries, world production of a number of POPs continues. International negotiations on reducing the release of these substances have started recently. The challenges the world faces in the next millennium are enormous. World population will grow from 5.8 billion today to 8.3 billion in the year 2025. Most of this growth will occur in developing countries. To feed so many additional people food production will have to increase significantly. For now, feeding the world without pesticides remains elusive, but we must still intensify our search for more environmentally friendly production methods. In applying Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Asian farmers managed to reduce the use of pesticides significantly and to achieve higher yields at the same time. Since hazardous chemicals are traded internationally and when released often cross borders, actions to minimize toxic risks must be based on international cooperation. The newly adopted treaty on chemicals trade is an essential first step, but a great deal of work remains before we can undo the mistakes of the past. With the rapidly expanding use of chemicals and improving scientific understanding, it is time to move the control of chemicals hazards higher up the global environmental agenda.
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