Protest: The Real Price of Pesticides
- Pesticides
Today foodwatch joined a protest at Crop Life International's headquarters in Brussels, demanding that the pesticide industry pay for the extensive damage caused by their products.
The claim is intentionally bold: a symbolic demand of 23,000,000,000.00 euros was presented at the headquarters, representing the unpaid bill for the true costs of pesticide use. A broad alliance of creditors gathered to hold the industry accountable.
Among those joining the action were international allies also campaigning against harmful pesticides, such as the Bee Foundation, the Corporate Europe Observatory, and the Pesticide Action Network.
Poison industry must foot the bill
The bill covers a wide range of social costs:
- from purifying drinking water and
- treating pesticide-related illnesses,
- to addressing greenhouse gas emissions
- and unjust subsidies.
These costs are unfairly borne by citizens, farmers, and workers—those most affected, yet least responsible.
Industry lobbyists refused to engage. The front doors remained firmly shut, and even attempts to ring the bell were ignored. Instead, a police delegation arrived and confiscated several protest signs. A respectful attempt at dialogue between the superintendent and the director of foodwatch International was also unsuccessful.
Still, the message was unmistakable: Pesticides kill. Polluters must pay the bill.
European Week of Action Against Pesticides
This week marks International Pesticide Action Week in Brussels—a week dedicated to exposing and challenging the production and use of toxic agricultural chemicals. Alongside another major conference on pesticides, civil society organisations are taking a stand against the European export of banned substances.
For years, foodwatch has been campaigning against the double standards in Europe’s pesticide trade. While some of the most dangerous pesticides are banned within the EU due to serious health and environmental risks, their production and export to other countries are still permitted. The same poisons deemed too hazardous for European fields continue to be sold abroad—with devastating consequences.
Join our email action! Together we will make it clear to the European Commission: this poison trade must stop as soon as possible.
Video of protest at Crop Life International's headquarters in Brussels
Stop the Toxic Trade!
Toxic pesticides on our plates: Pesticides banned in the EU are exported – only to return as residues in rice, bananas and raisins. A dangerous boomerang! The EU promised to stop this in 2020. But still no law. Urge the European Commission to move forward and ban export of these toxic chemicals.