Environmental groups call for ban on toxic pesticides

By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Environmental groups staged a nationwide protest against the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides for the sake of consumer safety.
 

More than 200 protesters from various environmental groups - including Greenpeace, the National Farmers Council, the National Health Assembly, and the Resources and Environment Network - gathered at Government House on Tuesday to hand over a petition to the government.

 

They have called for a ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos and a reduction in the use of glyphosate.

 

The protesters also demonstrated in front of city halls in 50 provinces to show solidarity in the campaign to reduce the use of toxins in the agricultural sector.

 

Protest representative Pavinee Watthusinthu said the groups want the government and related agencies to enforce four recommendations tabled by a committee charged with solving the problem of using highly toxic pesticides in agriculture.

 

The committee recommended the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry ban paraquat and chlorpyrifos, the Agriculture Department reduce the import of these dangerous substances, the Industry Ministry support the ban on these pesticides and related agencies enforce the recommendations as local authorities limit the use of the three chemicals.

 

 

Greenpeace South East Asia coordinator Watcharapon Dangsupa said 48 countries, including the producers of the three chemicals such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and China, have banned the products being used in their countries.

 

Watcharapon urged the government to prioritise people’s health and wellbeing over companies making profits.

A lawyer from the Office of the Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office, Sathit Suthiserm, received the petition.

 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30327117

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-19

I am sure these people will then go out and pull all the weeds that these chemicals are used for free of charge so the price of food doesnt go up, sometimes chemicals are needed, especially here due to all the weeds that grow so quick. I use paraquat or glysophate around once a month on my trees as it is the only way to control the amount of weeds and how quick they grow. I dont use it on anything I would pick fruit etc from but it is needed to control the amount of weeds unless they can come up with a better method as using manual labour will always increase prices and then they will complain even more

Edited September 19, 20178 yr by seajae

Just an attempt to increase their market share in agriculture here,next they will be asking to ban hybrid seeds so the heirloom seed market they control grows bigger.

They have an option to buy organic.

 

Why farmers can still use that ? Very ridiculous 

the producers of the three chemicals such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and China, have banned the products being used in their (own) countries

 

That should tell us something. Got weeds? Get a hoe.

21 hours ago, seajae said:

I am sure these people will then go out and pull all the weeds that these chemicals are used for free of charge so the price of food doesnt go up, sometimes chemicals are needed, especially here due to all the weeds that grow so quick. I use paraquat or glysophate around once a month on my trees as it is the only way to control the amount of weeds and how quick they grow. I dont use it on anything I would pick fruit etc from but it is needed to control the amount of weeds unless they can come up with a better method as using manual labour will always increase prices and then they will complain even more

I am sure it is not your concern that these dangerous chemicals seep into the ground water and into the waterways and possibly end up in your tap water while farmers dying due to carcinogenic effects. Your weeds more important.