Friday, May 6, 2011

ENDOSULFAN BANNED





The TATIB Foundation announces global ban on Endosulfan 


We are delighted to announce that with your support and after extensive review and debate, we have finally reached the end of the road for chemical pesticide Endosulfan.


Last Friday in Geneva, the nations of the world agreed that the pesticide Endosulfan is too toxic to have on the planet.
Country representatives at the fifth conference of parties (COP5) made the monumental decision to list Endosulfan under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). The listing will result in the global elimination of deadly pesticide Endosulfan. This global ban has powerful, real world impact : farm worker's children all over the world will have fewer birth defects, autism will be less likely in areas where crop spraying occurs on an almost daily basis, fewer residents of rural towns in the Western Cape, South Africa, will suffer serious side effects following their exposure to spray drift.

Thank you so much for your support on this campaign. The decision to eliminate Endosulfan is a major victory for people and planet. 


 Every cent, every letter to government and every minute of volunteer time has helped bring us closer to this – the end of the road for Endosulfan.
Each country is now responsible for ending its production and use within their borders within the next year. Only 3 countries - India, China and Uganda - registered exemptions for uses to control pests on specific crops including cotton, coffee, onions, potatoes, chillies, apples and mangoes. Use and production in these countries can continue for another 5 years.

The decision to globally ban endosulfan comes after a long campaign by The TATIB Foundation and others including the Pesticide Action Network, Thanal, and the Environmental Justice Foundation, to name but a few, highlighting scientific evidence of the threats posed by Endosulfan to the environment and human health. In South Africa, TATIB's chairman Jurgen Schirmacher has been campaigning for the last 6 years, to have Endoslufan banned for use on the vineyards, orchards & wheat fields of the Western Cape, following his family's exposure to the deadly pesticide.


The global ban reflects the worldwide support for an end to Endosulfan manufacture and use. Prior to the conference, more than 70 countries had already introduced national restrictions. 


Thank you so much for helping us achieve this great result, we couldn't have done it without your support.

5 comments:

  1. great news!! it's about time this deadly poison was banned all over the world.

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  2. Really interesting reading. Well done on taking a firm stand on all these issues. Its about time that people woke up and realized what is going on around them.

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  3. CONGRATULATIONS TATIB!!! WELLDONE AND THANK YOU FOR STANDING STRONG AND UNWAVERING IN YOUR TASK FOR OUR BENEFIT!!!

    HAVING HAD DEALINGS WITH DANGEROUSLY TOXIC ENDOSULFAN AND ITS DISASTROUS EFFECTS (REMEMBER THE TRAIN, WET FLOUR AND BREAD STORY EMAILED YOU) WE KNOW THE GREATNESS OF TATIB’S VICTORY IN THIS!

    MORE POWER TO YOU!

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  4. Hi, we live in Welgevonden Estate and for the last 2 nights have heard a farmer over the road spraying his vineyards at night. It has been quite windy and this morning we woke to find dead beetles on our front porch. Then checked the cars, full of some sticky substance. It can only be spray drift. Please can you urgently help us to fight this farmer (Blue Jay Farm). The drift falls onto the houses and not to mention the pizza restaurant 50m over the road from the farm. Let us know what we can do to take action against his indiscriminate pollution and poisoning, Thanks. Nicky: 084 952 0450

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  5. Hi, please can you post a link onto Facebook? I really belive we need wide support for this problem and having a facebook link will help create more awareness. Please let me know how I can help as I really want to help to bring the ban to Stellenbosch. We live in Welgevonden Estate and are surrounded by pesticide spraying farmers. Regards Nicky 084 952 0450 granix@vodamail.co.za

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