Feeding on Pesticides: 1/3 of European Fruit and Vegetables Contain Toxic Residue
Manage episode 330740544 series 3274113
Did you know that around 1/3 of fruit and vegetables in the EU are contaminated with toxic pesticide residue?
This staggering figure comes from the report “Forbidden Fruit”recently released by Pan Europe, in which they reveal that the amount of fruit contaminated with the most hazardous category of pesticides, linked to a range of chronic diseases including cancers, cardiovascular problems or diabetes, is following a startling increase.
The report examines data shared by national authorities between 2011 and 2019 and sheds light on how Member States have failed to implement EU regulation aimed at phasing-out such highly dangerous pesticides.
In this episode, we talk to Salomé Roynel, Campaigner at Pan Europe, about the outcomes of the report including the trends they have uncovered, what they mean for consumers, but also for the environment. We also discuss the lack of action taken by Member States to reverse the pesticide curve as well as the role of the pesticide industry and lobby in discrediting “viable alternatives” and using food insecurity as an argument to push for more pesticides.
Pan Europe “Forbidden Fruit” report: https://www.pan-europe.info/sites/pan-europe.info/files/public/resources/reports/ForbiddenFruit_01.pdf
33 episode