From Budapest: Global experts ask "Why DDT?"

Pesticide issues vary widely around the world. For example, there may be issues of overuse of new pesticide formulations and genetically modified crops in North America and Europe, while African countries struggle with huge stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and the re-emergence of long banned pesticides like DDT. In Asia and Latin America pesticide corporations aggressively promote toxic, older pesticides in countries where regulations are often weak.

Nothing brings home this diversity and complexity of issues like a meeting of pesticide and environmental activists from around the world. Such an opportunity arose in September this year in Budapest, Hungary, when over eighty experts and advocates met during meetings of the International Persistent Organic Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS).

PAN partners from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America were there sharing strategies and keeping pesticide issues at the forefront of all discussions. The IPEN meeting focused on strategic planning among groups working on implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs treaty) and other toxics issues, and showcased successful projects from around the world supported through the International POPs Elimination Project. As part of this project, groups have documented unsafe disposal of obsolete pesticide stocks, and pressured their governments for cleanup.

An issue that took center stage for NGOs was the controversy surrounding the World Health Organization (WHO)’s September 15th announcement giving DDT a “clean bill of health” for malaria control and promoting more widespread use of this old pesticide, directly undermining the goals of the POPs treaty. PAN International and allies (including IPEN and the International Society of Doctors for the Environment) staged a “Why DDT?” protest in Budapest and issued a joint statement of outrage calling for an investigation of WHO’s controversial stance and highlighting our collective support for the POPs treaty approach to DDT. Now ratified by 132 countries, the POPs treaty calls for ultimate elimination of DDT but allows interim use in some countries with support for transition to safer and more effective alternatives.

Many government officials at IFCS voiced similar concerns about WHO’s disturbing announcement and agreed to pressure the agency to clarify their policy on DDT. Since then, PAN has sent letters to individual WHO Board members expressing our dismay at the agency’s stance, and promoting safer solutions for malaria control has become a focus for joint campaigns by PAN International and other partners led by PAN Africa.

The implementation of the precautionary principle as it relates to toxic chemicals and pesticides was also hotly debated at the IFCS meeting. According to this principle, when an activity (including use of a particular chemical) raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof.

The seeds of new collaboration and global campaigns were sown in Budapest, and the path ahead is lined with exciting hard work for PAN folks and our partners who fight for a socially just and environmentally sustainable future.