While Europe bans certain pesticides to protect its population, the multinational Syngenta continues to massively export these same substances to Morocco. An investigation by Greenpeace and Public Eye reveals that in 2023, more than 8,500 tonnes of toxic products were transported to the Sharifian kingdom. Thus, agricultural workers and consumers have been exposed to major health risks. A situation which illustrates the growing gap between the environmental standards of the North and the South.
« It’s as if we were being told that our lives were worth less than those of Europeans. » These bitter words from a Moroccan farmer sum up the scandal currently shaking the agricultural sector. An investigation by Greenpeace and Public Eye denounces a practice that is as cynical as it is dangerous. In 2023, Syngenta released more than 8,500 tonnes of pesticides banned in Europe to countries like Morocco, India and Brazil where regulations are more relaxed.
At the heart of this controversy, two particularly formidable poisons: thiamethoxam and diquat. The first, a notorious bee killer, was exported in the amount of 374 tonnes – enough to treat an area larger than England. The second, a chemical cousin of the infamous paraquat, was shipped in excess of 5,000 tonnes to Morocco and other developing countries.
In the Moroccan fields, the reality is brutal. Mohammed, a farmer for 30 years near Fez, testifies: “ We know these products are dangerous, but we are told they are allowed here. How can we explain that they are too dangerous for Europeans, but safe enough for us? »
What does ONSSA do?
The Moroccan control system shows its limits. The ONSSA, supposed to be the guardian of food security, is struggling to stem this toxic flow. Porous borders and a lack of technical resources are transforming the country into a playground for agrochemical giants.
The consequences are already visible. Beekeepers are sounding the alarm at the massacre hitting their hives. Rural health centers are reporting a worrying increase in cases of poisoning and chronic diseases among agricultural workers. Paralysis, cancers, neurological disorders: the list of pathologies linked to these substances is growing.
What is most shocking in this affair is perhaps the cynicism of “double standards”. How can we justify that a product deemed too dangerous for European farmers can be freely sold to their Moroccan counterparts? This disturbing question highlights the gray areas of globalization.
Public Eye and Greenpeace call for pesticide ban
Faced with this observation, voices are being raised. NGOs like Public Eye and Greenpeace are calling for an outright ban on the production and export of these banned pesticides. In Morocco, local associations are urging the government to act before it is too late.
In the meantime, every day that passes sees its share of workers exposed to these deadly substances. The price of this negligence is measured in human lives, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated soil. The question is no longer whether Morocco should act, but when it will finally decide to protect its land and its people from this legal poison.
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