Alarming pesticide poisoning among flower workers
Brussels/Cologne/Muenster/Prague/Vienna, February 10th, 2011. Shortly before Valentine's Day, the European campaign “Fair Flowers - for Human Rights” presents a study on the health impacts of pesticides in the Ugandan flower production for the export to Europe. The study was conducted by the campaign's partner, the Uganda Workers' Education Association (UWEA). As a result of the study's alarming findings, the campaign partners demand stricter controls of pesticide residue on flowers imported by the European Union, as well as the obligation to indicate the country of origin. Public institutions, flower traders and consumers should buy only socially and environmentally fairly produced flowers.
Flower workers of all areas of production are exposed to pesticides. Nevertheless, more than 40% of the interviewed workers never use protective equipment. Due to lacking or inadequate protective equipment and limited knowledge of the recommended use of pesticides, a large number of workers show symptoms that are very likely the consequences of pesticide exposure. Ugandan workers report having experienced chest discomfort, skin irritation, headache and sleep disorders, among other symptoms. Workers in other flower producing countries report similar conditions. “The lack of adequate protection is caused by employers’ ruthless ignorance of national and international occupational health and security standards,” says Sophie Vessel of FIAN Austria. “The respective governments lack the political will to control the implementation of labour laws,” adds Gertrud Falk of FIAN Germany.
The findings in Uganda are backed by surveys of the Pesticide Action Network in Africa, Asia and Latin America, concluding that highly hazardous pesticides are often used in the agricultural sector and that workers rarely get full personal protective equipment. The use of harzardous pesticides in flower production is higher than that of agricultural food production because flowers are normally not eaten. Additionally, the European Union has not set a threshold for pesticide residue on imported flowers.
“Furthermore, many workers fear not being able to earn an income for the family in the future due to injuries and the possible long term effects of pesticide exposure”, adds Alena V?žníková of the Ecumenical Academy Prague. In many cases the families of the workers are affected as well. “When mothers reach home after work, they often hug their children before changing clothes“, says Florence Kroff of FIAN Belgium.
“In our ongoing petition, we ask the decision makers in the European Union to call for a European legislation which makes it obligatory that flowers imported to the European Union are examined for pesticide residue. Pesticides which the World Health Organization categorizes as hazardous (WHO class I) should not be allowed to enter the European Union market,” says Clara Moeremans from Netwerk Bewust Verbruiken.
”Furthermore, an increasing demand for fair flowers by the labels Flower Label Program (FLP) and FAIRTRADE can put more pressure on the owners of the Ugandan flower farms to convince them to comply with their standards,“ explains Steffi Neumann of Vamos Muenster.
Link to the study: www.flowers-for-human-rights.org
Link to the online petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fairflowers/