Mariann Bassey Orovwuje, Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action/ Friends Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) and the Coordinator of the Food Sovereignty Program, Friends of the Earth Africa (FoEA) made a presentation on “Pesticide, Food Safety and Human Rights (Instances of Litigations, Workers Rights & Roles of Advocates/Right Defenders.),” on a training event which was hosted by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the members of the alliance for Action on Pesticide in Nigeria (AAPN), – ERA is a member of the Alliance – with the support of the Heinrich Boell Stiftung Nigeria (HBS). The training sought to foster a deeper understanding of the legal and human rights aspects of pesticide hazards. The theme of the training was “Pesticide Hazards and Human Rights.”
The training was held at Broadfield Hotel, Abuja on Tuesday, 7th November 2023, with attendance of over 40 participants including legal practitioners, rights groups, farmers, members of civil society as well as representatives from the National Food Drugs Administration, and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and other institutions such as the Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Legal Aid Council, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and Justice, Development & Peace Commission.
Amongst others the event: highlighted key data and incidences of pesticide poisoning; examined the prospects of litigation as a means to enforce workers’ and consumers’ rights; and identified necessary actions required for an improvement of the regulation of pesticides in our agricultural sector. It was noted that the right to life and the right to a good environment are guaranteed rights according to the African Charter and the 1999 Nigerian constitution and are instrumental in the fight against hazardous pesticides In her presentation Mariann citing Into The Weeds: The Dewayne “Lee” Johnson story, in a historic ruling in the San Francisco Superior Court in 2018, a jury found the Monsanto corporation (now part of Bayer) fully liable for health damages caused by its herbicide, Roundup. The plaintiff, Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, was awarded $289 million in damages. This victory was a landmark moment and signaled the beginning of what could lead to real change — a loosening of the grip that corporations have held over food and farming for far too long.
She also gave graphic illustrations of how Farmers spray their Farms in the US when using the cancer-causing pesticide – Glyphosate vis-a-vis how Farmers in Nigeria spray their Farms in Nigeria when using the same pesticide! She asked albeit rhetorically, why some people/companies are still trying so hard to justify the continuous use of the toxic pesticide- Glyphosate that has already been declared cariogenic in the country of origin of the product. If the courts have declared the product to be a cancer-causing agent. Is it not enough for Nigeria with our limited capacity to be watchful and stay away from it? She retorts.
It would be remembered that in 2015, the World Health Organization determined that glyphosate, the active label ingredient in Monsanto’s flagship herbicide Roundup, is a probable human carcinogen.
She then asked the gathering if any of them would knowingly Eat Food Soaked in Pesticides. She went on to demonstrate by spraying an Irish Potato and then asking if any of the participants would eat it after seeing what she had done to it. Of course, the answer was an emphatic NO! She concluded by restating the facts they had all heard and watched from the videos that were screened.
That :
- We are being Poisoned!
- We have these toxic chemicals in our bodies, without our knowledge and without our consent!
- Study after studies has described Monsanto and bayer’s weedkiller as “chronically toxic” “probably carcinogenic” “linked to liver cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease” and “likely to kill 93% of endangered species” “roundup carries a high long-term risk to mammals” that means us
- We do have one chance to get that poison off our shelves, we should have zero tolerance or toxic pesticides! We must kill Roundup before it kills nature and takes us along with it!
On a final note, she asked the participants to get involved in the campaign to rid our environment of toxic pesticides and chemicals. She asked them to :
- Be informed and inspired to take action at home, at work, and in your communities.
- Engage! Speak out! Work with a coalition like AAPN, and Groups like ERA, HOMEF CAPPA s take into account your views in their work.
- BE Present!!! Voice your views in different forums, in person or online.
- Get involved with the right Social media campaigns and get the word out in the public domain.
- Get in touch with your Legislative representatives to take this campaign on.
- Send briefings, studies, and commentaries to policy-makers by email or other acceptable media channels
- Speak to journalists, media personnel, and bloggers to get the word out there and galvanize the public into action
- Build up pressure
- Go to Court!