My parents were farmers. They both suffered from cancer. My mother died far too young.
Did their repeated exposure to pesticides contribute to the onset of their cancer?
Many studies have shown that several agrochemical products commonly used in Canada are carcinogenic and deserve to be better regulated, or even banned.
Stratagems
To influence those who should put in place regulations capable of protecting human health and the environment, the agrochemical industry has more than one trick up its sleeve: lobbying, revolving doors, discrediting and profiling researchers.
This week, Vigilance OGM released a map allowing us to understand these strategies of the agrochemical lobby, while revealing testimonies from scientists whose research results have been suppressed.
bee killer
This is the case of Christy Morrissey, professor at the University of Saskatchewan. His work on the high presence of imidacloprid in agricultural water in the Prairies could have led to its use being banned in Canada, as is the case in Europe.
Imidacloprid is a deadly pesticide for bees and other pollinating insects on which our agriculture depends. Studies have also shown that it attacks the brains of rats and harms the quality of their sperm.
However, a National Observer investigation revealed that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), dependent on Health Canada, colluded with the Bayer company to discredit the work on imidacloprid by this distinguished researcher.
It is interesting to remember that Bayer is the agrochemical multinational that bought Monsanto in 2018. Several trials have cast doubt on the validity of scientific studies used by the multinational to have its products approved.
Filing
Discrediting researchers and their work is a strategy widely used by industry.
On September 27, the newspaper The World and a media collective revealed the existence of a private platform for large-scale registration of “troublesome personalities” for the agrochemical industry.
We learned that for years, pesticide and biotechnology manufacturers have had access to information concerning the family, lifestyle, heritage, income and political opinions concerning more than 500 scientists, journalists, experts from the Nations. United and activists critical of intensive agriculture.
The objective? Have information to be able to discredit or manipulate them.
Revolving doors
Among the other lobbying strategies revealed by the Vigilance OGM mapping, there are “revolving doors”. This is the back and forth between public sector employees who work on Canadian regulations and employees of agrochemical companies or their main lobbying body: Croplife Canada.
The cartography allows us to realize that all these beautiful people maintain incestuous relationships which influence the regulations.
It is becoming increasingly clear that putting in place safeguards between lobbies and our regulatory bodies is essential to protect our farmers as well as pollinators.
