German Agriculture Minister Oezdemir acknowledged that it is not acceptable for Germany to continue producing and exporting pesticides that have been banned on its own territory to protect people’s health and that people all over the world have the same right to health. His ministry is drafting a bill.
A broad coalition of NGOs in Germany strongly supports this legal ban. Germany is one of the main pesticide producing countries, so a legal ban on exports in Germany would be relevant and would set an important example for other countries to follow. However, there is a lot of opposition against it, for example from industry and other political parties.
In a joint open letter to the German minister, civil society organizations from southern countries/countries suffering from toxic pesticide exports express their support for the German export ban as a significant step against double standards in pesticide trade. They ask the German government to take a significant step and include in this export ban those pesticides (formulations and substances) that are considered too dangerous for both human health and the environment.
The letter will be sent in English. Spanish and French versions of the letter are available for your information.
Open letter in Spanish, i…(140.11 kB)