Open letter to Mr. Han Chang-fu: Stop export of Paraquat produced by Syngenta and others in China!

Open letter to Mr. Han Chang-fu, Minister of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China

Stop export of Paraquat produced by Syngenta and others in China!

Honourable Mr. Han Chang-fu, Minister of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China,

We welcome the suggestion of the Agricultural Ministry of China on 9 May 2016 to re-classify the toxicity of the pesticide Paraquat from “medium toxic” to “extremely toxic”[i] as well as the decisions taken by your ministry to ban the use of all Paraquat formulations in China.[ii] Further, we appreciate that the Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals (ICAMA) correctly stated that Paraquat has "no specific antidote, that accidental application is dangerous, and that illness duration is long and painful, and could be life-threatening".[iii]

However, we are strongly concerned that the Agriculture Ministry of China on April 24 2012, and again on May 9 2016, officially allows production of Paraquat for export to be used in other parts of the world, harming the health of agricultural workers, farmers and the environment in these countries.

Syngenta is a main producer of some of the most toxic pesticides globally, including Paraquat. ChemChina represents the largest portion of the Chinese agrochemical industry, which already exports massive amounts of toxic agrochemicals, including Paraquat, to the world market.

After learning that the Chinese government announced that the use of Paraquat will be banned in China, Davor Pisk, Chief Operating Officer of Syngenta, expressed to the media in 2009: "Regarding the issue of Paraquat, we do not consider the policy of the Chinese government appropriate, but we will respect the discussions we had, and fully implement the decision"[iv]. Instead, Syngenta announced in 2015 that its Nantong plant in China was increasing Paraquat production capacity for export from 6,000 tons to 10,000 tons.[v]

We are concerned that if ChemChina successfully merges with Syngenta, this can further consolidate the harm to global mankind caused by China's export of the most toxic agrochemicals, including export of Paraquat.

The Agricultural Ministry of China invites the Paraquat producers in China to comment on the above-mentioned suggestions.  However, farmers, farm workers or scientists, being the most important stakeholder with regard to the use of paraquat and its safety and health issues, are not invited for comments. It seems rather obvious that Syngenta and other producers of Paraquat in China will oppose the re-classification of Paraquat.

This decision should be discussed publicly and widely, as a final decision on the classification of Paraquat in the People’s Republic of China might affect the decisions regarding the merger of Syngenta with ChemChina.

Most importantly, we are very concerned that despite all these acknowledgements of Paraquat’s toxicity, the production in China for the export to other countries is not considered for a ban. This is potentially harming the people of other nations and is a crime against humanity. China’s decisions in this matter have a huge global importance.

We therefore urge you to reconsider your decision in that matter and to work towards complete banning the production of Paraquat and other extremely toxic pesticides and to review the intention of ChemChina to acquire Syngenta for the sake of the health of the people and the environment in China as well as around the world.

Yours sincerely,

The undersigning organisations and individuals.

Click here to download the English & Chinese version of this letter.

Organisations:

Alternative Left Bern, Switzerland

Biodiversidad en América Latin, Latin America

BIOS, Argentina

Blueridge Institute, Switzerland

Bread for all, Switzerland

Coalition against BAYER-Dangers, Germany

ENSSER (European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility), Europe

ETC Group, Canada

European Civic Forum, Switzerland

GE Free NZ in Food and Environment, New Zealand

Grain, Global

Grupo Semillas, Colombia

IPEN a toxics-free future, Argentina

Longo Maï, Switzerland

Moms Across America, USA

MultiWatch, Switzerland

NAGS (National Association for Genetic Safety), Russia

OFRANEH GARIFUNA, Organizacion Fraternal Negra Hondureña, Honduras

Pesticide Action Network, Asia Pacific

Pesticide Action Network, Europe

Public Eye on Science, Switzerland

Red de Coordinación en Biodiversidad, Costa Rica

Red Nacional De Accion Ecologista, Argentina

Solifonds, Switzerland

Swissaid, Switzerland

Individuals:

Albrecht Christoph, Switzerland

Baldinger Fritz, Switzerland

Bernard Meijfroidt, Belgium

Bleakley Claire, New Zealand

Buchwalder Florian, Switzerland

Bujàn Silvana, Argentina

Dalhuisen Tjerk, ASEED Europe, Netherlands

Egli Martin, Switzerland

Ernst Peter, Switzerland

Fritschi Jolanda, Switzerland

Gähler Ueli, Switzerland

Gessler Peter, Switzerland

Girard Odile, France

Grigore Raluca, USA

Gurtner Bruno, Switzerland

Klein Rachel, Switzerland

Kramarenko Konstantin, Russia

Langmeier Daniel, Switzerland

Lebrecht Tamara, Switzerland

Lutz Sohal Ulrike, Switzerland

McNulty Jim, Switzerland

Mettauer Reto, Switzerland

Meyer Jürg, Switzerland

Miranda Miriam, Honduras

Mortier Brigitte, France

Niggli Peter, Switzerland

Novoselova Nadezhda, Russia

Pehrke Jan, Germany

Picado Henry, Costa Rica

Planchenault Denis Dr, Switzerland

Rabello Roberto Jorge, Argentina

Rocio Damiano, Argentina

Rodriguez-Cervantes Silvia, Costa Rica

Rüegg Ch., Switzerland

Rüegg Christoph, Switzerland

Salzgeber Florine, Switzerland

Saunders Peter, Professor, UK

Schenker Dominik, Switzerland

Schmutz Hans-Peter, Switzerland

Seneff Stephanie, Senior Research Scientist, USA

Sharoykina Elena, Russia

Sirinathsinghji Eva, Independent Biosafety Researcher, UK

Soto Hugo, Costa Rica “Citizen of a country flooded with Paraquat”

Stolz Albert, Switzerland

Tschannen Jan, Switzerland

Tschirren Stephan, Switzerland

Urech Ursula, Switzerland

Walter Ursula, Switzerland

Weber Helga, Germany       

Wursthorn Markus A., Germany

Zollinger Marianne, Switzerland