Counterfeit pesticide sweep through Europe

Widespread use of illegal counterfeit pesticides across Europe can be more harmful to consumers, farmers and the environment with respect to the legal versions also toxic, according to a recent article on 25 August the Wall Street Journal.

Despite the strict regulations on genetically modified foods throughout the EU, the problem of pesticides counterfeiting is growing, the WSJ, with illegal pesticides, possibly making up as much as 5 to 15 percent of all pesticides sold in Europe.

The illegal trade in unregulated untested pesticides is raking in big bucks for distributors throughout Europe — stealthily toxic products through loopholes in countries that do not consider the EU pesticides in their laws and thus making it difficult to counterfeit. According to the WSJ, "last year, for example, 28 tons of pesticides counterfeit intended for Lithuania were seized in Hamburg. Although they were packaged alongside the measuring cups and labels purporting to be made by three of the largest producers of world agrochimiche, Bayer AG, Syngenta AG and e. i. du Pont de Nemours and co., actually contained more than 30% of a solvent called dimethylformamide, which is banned in Europe because it is suspected to cause serious harm to pregnant women. "

More than 20 percent of farmers across Eastern Europe have lost crops due to use of illegal pesticides that destroyed their crops and have made the soil unstable.

The United States have a system in place designed to disseminate the counterfeiters by seizing parts — not only finished products — whether intended for sale as an alternative the EPA regulated pesticides.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @ jillettinger

Image: c. g. p. Grey

Tags: counterfeit pesticides, genetically modified foods, pesticides

This entry was published on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 to 12:00 am and is filed under green living, health, , organic, organic food, Live organic, the environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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