When you look, you find!
This is the credo of the NGOs and it doesn't make your mouth water. The Générations futures association is warning us this week about the dangers of flufenacet.
It is a herbicide used in wheat fields, in the great cereal plains. This product degrades into metabolites, particles, and some are TFA, well, another barbaric word…
These are fluorinated acids, eternal pollutants, very persistent.
But we drink these TFAs, without knowing it.
The NGO took water from the tap of its office, rue Lafayette in Paris and found some…
Nearly 3 micrograms per liter… As a precaution, we should not exceed 0.1 micrograms per liter!
And why should we be vigilant about this product in particular?
Because it is an endocrine disruptor recognized by the European Food Safety Authority. This eternal pollutant has effects on hormones, reproduction
Yesterday Future Generations contacted the national health security agency, ANSES, and it does not understand why the Ministry of Health does not take it over. This would make it possible to search for these metabolites in water and have more data on what the population drinks
If Anses classifies this product among the so-called “relevant” substances, which must be treated, the water will no longer flow “from the source”, it will be necessary to close the taps or depollute the water!
Except that the State also finds itself in court because of these pesticides?
Because the NGOs are not letting up the pressure on this public health subject.
This week, four associations, Our Business to All, Future Generations, Biodiversity under our feet and the ASPAS – Association for the Protection of Wild Animals filed an appeal before the Council of State. For them, the government is failing, it will not be able to halve the use of pesticides
I'll give you an example: there may be less glyphosate in the fields, but this herbicide can be replaced by prosulfocarb. Another chemical product, not great either, and we breathe this one…
However, the State itself must admit deficiencies, yesterday an interministerial inspection report revealed by Contexte warned of the overall failure to preserve water quality.
He recommends banning pesticides in water catchment areas, we are moving forward…
France exports banned pesticides abroad?
Yes, a shame for the Catholic Committee against Hunger and for Development – Terre Solidaire and the Veblen Institute which also contacted the Council of State.
Manufacturers continue to produce and export products banned in Europe. More than 7000 tonnes last year.
But this pollution comes back to us like a boomerang, our fruit baskets, our bouquets of flowers are potentially treated with these dangerous pesticides and used abroad!
In the viewfinder, France is up against Mercosur
It's a subject that almost everyone in France agrees on, it's rare! Prime Minister Michel Barnier, NGOs, farmers, all reject Mercosur, a free trade treaty between Europe and South America.
There is no question of further opening the borders to beef, chicken or Brazilian soy. Some EU countries are for it but France can block it if it manages to convince three other states.
A tough subject for Emmanuel Macron, the president is expected in Rio for a G20 on Monday and Tuesday, the dinner is likely to be spicy!
