Health – Page 4

Silent Threat in the Skies: ‘Aerotoxic Syndrome’

Monica Piccinini

January 22, 2024

On January 7, the world witnessed with shock the alarming Alaska Airlines plane incident involving Flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9 MAX, where a fuselage door plug blew off mid-flight near Portland, Oregon, USA. The disturbing event follows closely after the tragic 2018 and 2019 crashes involving two Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets, claiming the lives of 346 individuals due to flawed flight control systems that caused fatal nosedives.

In the aftermath of these incidents, profound concerns about the overall safety of aircraft have surged, demanding urgent attention and scrutiny.

Another worrying and often overlooked matter impacting the safety of our flights involves potential contamination of the air circulating within the cabin and cockpit with toxic chemicals.

Jet powered aircraft require the use of synthetic engine oils and hydraulic fluids, which can potentially seep into the air supply in modern aircrafts, except for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The air supply, known as “bleed air”, is drawn unfiltered from the engine or auxiliary power unit (APU), contaminating the aircraft’s internal air with toxic substances.

Inhaling oil and fluids that leak into the aircraft breathing air supply can result in both immediate and prolonged neurological, cardiological and respiratory health issues. This set of symptoms, arising from exposure of toxic air, is referred to ‘aerotoxic syndrome’.

During a June 2022 interview on the Seth Meyers show, actor Miles Teller shared his experience and response after being exposed to toxic fumes in a jet while filming ‘Top Gun’:

“And so we landed. I’m just like, man, I’m not feeling too good, and I was really hot and I just started itching like crazy, so I get out of the jet and I’m just covered in hives, like head to toe. Instantly, I go to a doctor. I do like a blood analysis, this, that, whatever. I go to the doctor and my bloodwork comes back and I have flame retardant pesticides and jet fuel in my blood.”

Red Alert

Since the 1950s, pilots, cabin crew, and passengers have consistently raised concerns about inadequate cabin air quality and potential contamination of aircraft air supplies. This is typically identified by a peculiar but often subtle ‘dirty sock’ odour. In instances of severe contamination, visible smoke may be present. These are often called ‘fume events’ in the aviation industry.

Fume events are highly concerning, as they have the potential to impair or incapacitate pilots and cabin crew during a flight, thereby jeopardising the lives of both the crew and passengers.

The air provided to pilots, crew members, and passengers, originates from the engines. Due to the high temperatures during engine operation, any engine oil leakage has the potential to transform into a mist of chemicals that can be inadvertently inhaled by pilots, crew members, and passengers.

Numerous reports from pilots, crew members, passengers, organisations, and scientists suggest that these occurrences are more frequent than commonly acknowledged.

In some cases, pilots have been compelled to resign from their positions entirely because of the adverse health effects arising from these fume events. Many pilots and crew members hesitate to officially document and disclose such occurrences, in fear of losing their jobs.

In 1997, Dr Susan Michaelis, a former pilot and authority in aviation safety, had to retire from her profession at the age of 34 due to illness that made her unfit to fly. Since then, she has dedicated her efforts to researching the field. Reflecting on her personal experience as a pilot, Dr Michaelis explains:

“I began my aviation career in 1986, and after eight years, in 1994, I secured a position as a regional airline pilot in Australia, operating the BAe 146. Shortly after starting this role, I consistently detected an unpleasant odour resembling that of a dirty sock inside the aircraft.

“This occurrence became a regular experience whenever changes occurred with the engines, APU, air supply, or when different stages of flight were initiated. The fumes were typically temporary but recurred almost every flight. Subsequently, I started experiencing headaches, a sore throat, difficulty in speaking and concentrating, as well as feelings of fatigue and nausea.

“The situation deteriorated progressively, and during a two-day period in mid-1997, the condition seemed a bit more challenging. Unbeknownst to me then, those two days marked my final flight as a pilot. The symptoms I had been experiencing for nearly three years at work reached a point where, at the age of 34, I was no longer able to continue flying. Eventually, my pilot medical certificate was revoked, and I have not flown as a commercial pilot since then.”

Dr Michaelis revealed the long-term health effects and consequences of continuous exposure to fume events:

“I am currently dealing with stage 4 incurable lobular breast cancer, and I attribute it to the consistent exposure to these fumes over the years. The fumes contain chemicals and contaminants recognised as endocrine disruptors that mimic oestrogen. This is particularly significant in the context of oestrogen-driven breast cancers, which is the type I have.

“Despite not flying at high altitudes, across time zones, or working night shifts, I was exposed to bleed air fumes. This exposure not only ended my career but, I fear, will ultimately lead to the end of my life, given the nature of this incurable form of breast cancer.”

Based on Dr Michaelis 2017 study, among 274 surveyed pilots, 63% reported experiencing adverse health effects, with 44% reporting symptoms persisting for days or weeks post-exposure, 32% experiencing symptoms lasting for weeks to months, and 13% facing chronic ill health that resulted in permanent disqualification from flying due to fitness issues.

In 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), issued a safety alert to operators providing guidance that “inflight odour, smoke and/or fume events can occur without other visual and/or olfactory cues. To mitigate health consequences to passengers and crew, prompt and decisive action is critical.”

Health Impact

Aircraft manufacturers ensure the re-circulation of at least 50% of the air inside the aircraft by installing HEPA filters. These filters are effective in eliminating bacteria and viruses from the recirculated air. However, they are not designed to remove heated engine or hydraulic fluid fumes.

Contaminants in bleed air can involve various harmful chemicals, including organophosphates (OP) like the flame retardant tricresyl phosphate (TCP), a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as aldehydes and solvents, as well as carbon monoxide and other toxic substances.

While a variety of chemicals can contaminate the cockpit and cabin air, the primary source of concern has been organophosphate TCP, a neurotoxin found in engine oils, and ultra-fine particles (UFPs), which are composed of fine droplets in the bleed air.

According to a study published in December 2023 at the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, ongoing exposures to organophosphates might lead to neurological damage through other mechanisms, including alterations in gene expression, heightened oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and disruption of the endocrine system.

Exposure to contaminants in bleed air and adverse effects reported by aircrew include a pattern of acute and long-term adverse health effects. Like any toxic substances, the symptoms experienced are dependent upon the level and duration of exposure.

Various clinical factors, including diet, smoking and alcohol consumption, age, comorbidities, medication, and genetics, may also play a role in determining individual reactions to fume events.

Initial symptoms initially associated with fume events encompass dizziness, fogginess, impaired short-term memory and cognitive thinking, nausea, tremor, fatigue, lack of coordination, breathing difficulties, balance impairment, cough, chest pain, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.

While some individuals experience short-duration symptoms, for others, it may take hours, days, weeks, months, or even years to recover fully, and in certain cases, a complete recovery may not occur.

Exposure to fume events may be linked to a variety of enduring health conditions, including complaints related to the central and peripheral nervous systems, cough, respiratory issues, lung disease, cognitive dysfunction, toxic encephalopathy, asthma, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, vocal cord polyps, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, tremors, muscle weakness, numbness in limbs, peripheral neuropathy, loss of temperature control, neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s), depression, anxiety, fertility issues, eye disorders, and cancer.

In 2023, 16 international experts released a medical protocol designed for examining aircrew and passengers who have been exposed to contaminated air and fume events. However, according to Dr Michaelis, there’s still lack of interest from the aviation industry in collecting epidemiological data from people exposed to contaminated air in aircraft.

Proposed Solutions

Former airline captain and film producer, Tristan Loraine, highlighted a possible solution to fume events:

“Adjusting the method of supplying air to the cabin is a possibility. Unlike the 787, which use electrical compressors, every other airplane utilises the flawed bleed air approach. Several years ago, Airbus and the German company Liebherr Aerospace collaborated on exploring the possibility of converting an A320 to a bleed-free system, like the 787, employing electrical compressors to draw in outside air.

“However, due to the substantial electrical power consumption of the electric compressors, they faced challenges in generating enough power to operate two large compressors. Consequently, the project did not progress beyond making one half of the aircraft ‘bleed free’. Looking ahead, as advancements in electrical power generation develop, this approach could potentially become a promising solution—perhaps even the optimal one. Unfortunately, there is currently no serious effort to develop this technology.”

The monitoring of fume events is a crucial aspect of research; however, the lack of systems for detecting contaminated air presents a challenge in identifying the source and quantifying the presence of pollutants inside aircrafts.

The Spanish Airline Pilots Union (Sepla) and the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive (GCAQE), an entity advocating for the interests of aircrew, are urging the immediate installation of warning systems for contaminated air in the cockpit.

There is an immediate need to adopt an international medical protocol that recognises the adverse health effects associated with fume exposure inside aircraft cabins and cockpits. One has recently been published by Dr Michaelis and her team. However, the industry has yet to adopt it.

Presently, there is no existing global reporting system; however, the GCAQE has proactively created the Global Cabin Air Reporting System (GCARS). This new confidential global reporting system is offered free of charge and is accessible for both crews and passengers to report incidents of contaminated air on aircraft.

Introducing training protocols for aircrew during fume events can enhance awareness and address under-reporting issues. Furthermore, improved training and reporting on bleed air and supply air contamination are necessary for maintenance staff, manufacturers, airline operators, and senior management.

“Several individuals in the industry inform us that airline executives and engineering departments prioritise eliminating odours over addressing the presence of chemicals, simply to avoid passenger complaints. From a flight safety perspective, we argue that this approach is problematic, as it lacks warning indicators. It’s comparable to consuming alcohol without manifesting any immediate side effects, until you collapse”, explained Loraine.

The Regulators

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), were contacted to comment on their protocols and planned measures for handling fume events.

The FAA responded with an exact reproduction of the content found on their Cabin Air Quality website page: https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/cabin-air-quality.

Part of EASA’s response included:

“A number of investigations and research projects have been conducted by various scientific teams, involving in-flight measurements, but did not allow so far to obtain the complete characterisation of the chemical compounds involved in single cabin/cockpit air contamination (CAC) events, to determine the sources and exposure levels to contamination and to perform comprehensive toxicological risk assessment for such events.

“Due to the lack of an established relationship between CAC event exposure and potential health impairments, no standardised medical protocol is defined to evaluate affected aviation professionals.”

The CAA commented:

“Based on the available data submitted through our Mandatory Occurrence Reporting process, occurrences relating to engine bleed air are rare, forming only a very small proportion of the total number of fume event reports we receive each year.

“Sensor technology to detect fume events remains at a proof-of-concept stage. There are many sources of ‘contaminants’ in a cabin which can be detected by sensor devices, including those from catering or passengers. Until the technology has been proven to work in an aviation context, we would not advise their use at this time.”

Dr Michaelis detailed how the aviation industry perceives and addresses fume events:

“Airlines, regulators, manufacturers, and the broader aviation industry do their very best to ignore much of the scientific literature that refers to adverse effects in people exposed to bleed air contamination. Inappropriately, they insist that fume events are rare and assert there is no data establishing a link between exposures and reported adverse effects.

“Instead, they engage in additional scientific studies and further inquiries that fail to pose appropriate research questions or lead us in circles, repeatedly calling for more research, while dismissing the extensive data that continues to be documented.”

Dr Michaelis shares a final message to airlines, regulators, manufacturers, governments, pilots, crew members and passengers across the world:

“The breathing air in aircraft is routinely contaminated by low levels of engine oils and hydraulic fluids. This practice began in the 1950s and has been thoroughly documented and acknowledged. Despite the overwhelming evidence, the aviation industry has focused on denial and obfuscation, refusing to investigate the effects on people.

“The available information is compelling, and no amount of sophisticated committees can delay addressing this problem any longer. The era of maintaining this open secret has concluded. Solutions to mitigate risks could be within reach if there is determination or a proactive approach adopted.”

Meanwhile, pilots, cabin crew and passengers continue to inhale air that could be tainted with toxic chemicals, often without awareness, experiencing the repercussions of fume events that impact their health and the safety of flights. Unfortunately, a resolution for this issue remains elusive.

A Sobering Reality: Cocktail of Hazardous Pesticides in Wine Has Tripled

Monica Piccinini

13 December 2023

Official statistics, examined by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK), reveal that the presence of harmful pesticide mixtures in wine has increased by over threefold since 2016.

Findings from the testing programme conducted by the UK government indicate a significant rise in the percentage of wine with multiple pesticide residues, surging from 14% in 2016 to 50% in 2022.

The analysis of 72 wine samples in PAN UK’s report reveals residues of 19 pesticides, nine of which are linked to cancer. A single wine sample was discovered to contain six different pesticides.

Nick Mole, PAN UK’s policy officer, mentioned:

“This massive rise in ‘pesticide cocktails’ should be of grave concern because we know that chemicals can become more harmful when combined, and yet we continue to set safety limits for just one chemical at a time. Wine lovers shouldn’t have to risk exposure to an array of hazardous pesticides when they fancy a tipple. The organic wine sector is flourishing, proving that it is 100% possible to produce wine without relying on toxic chemicals.”

The excessive use of pesticides in the production of wine not only poses a threat to the health of consumers, but also endangers the wellbeing of individuals living and working in wine-producing regions.

In a study conducted in France in October, it was found that children living near vineyards had a higher likelihood of contracting leukemia. Additionally, a Canadian research revealed that individuals employed in the wine industry were at a higher risk of developing illnesses, attributed to their exposure to elevated levels of pesticides.

A French study published in the Environmental Research journal suggested that agricultural practices and pesticides used in vineyards could have been linked to the occurrence of Parkinson’s disease.

Pesticides in Food

According to PAN UK’s findings, there seems to be a rising trend in the occurrence of pesticide combinations in the food consumed by Britons. The total percentage of fruit and vegetables with residues from multiple pesticides has consistently stayed below 48%, but this year it unexpectedly spiked to an astonishing 53%.

Mole added:

“This year’s results show that, just like our rivers, much of our food is increasingly contaminated with pesticide cocktails. We have no idea what his ongoing exposure to tens – or even hundreds – of different chemicals is doing to our health over the long term.”

In a report by PAN UK and the Soil Association, it is highlighted that despite the prevalence of pesticide cocktails and the evidence pointing to their potentially greater harm compared to individual pesticides, the UK’s regulatory system continues to assess the safety of each chemical independently. Safety evaluations for pesticide residues in our food are conducted based on the analysis of individual chemicals.

Today, PAN UK launched its yearly ‘Dirty Dozen‘ list, identifying the fruit and vegetables with the highest likelihood of being contaminated by multiple pesticides.

*Source: data presented based on PAN UK analysis of the UK Government’s Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF) four quarterly data spreadsheets for 2022.*

PAN UK’s analysis revealed that among 134 different pesticide residues found in all produce, 50% fall under the category of ‘highly hazardous pesticides.’ Furthermore, 45 of these are carcinogens, 25 act as endocrine disruptors, impacting hormone systems and leading to birth defects, developmental disorders, and infertility.

Additionally, 14 are considered developmental or reproductive toxins, affecting sexual function, fertility, and potentially causing miscarriages, while 10 are cholinesterase inhibitors capable of impairing the respiratory system.

“Rates of chronic diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s are rising”, added Mole.

“We urgently need to take a precautionary approach and do everything we can to tackle pesticides in our food chain. But the UK government’s key strategy on pesticides is almost six years late now, and their proposal to introduce pesticide reduction targets never happened.

“Our new environment secretary, Steve Barclay, must do better than his recent predecessors and finally make good on the government’s promise to better protect human health and the environment from pesticides.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson said:

“In Great Britain, we set strict limits on the pesticides residue levels that are allowed to remain in both food for consumers and feed for animals. These limits are set to protect public health and are set below the level considered to be safe for people to eat. The limits apply to both food produced in the UK and those imported from other countries.”

In 2018, the UK government committed in its 25 Year Environment Plan to decrease pesticide usage and reassess the UK National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) by the year’s end. However, the publication of the NAP is still pending.

“In line with Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan, the forthcoming National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) will se out our ambition to support pesticide users to maximize non-chemical control approaches. The NAP will be published in due course,” added a Defra spokesperson.

Pesticides have to be approved by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD), and authorised by the Health and Safety Executive before they can be sold, distributed, stored or used in the UK.

Pantanal Blaze: Nature’s Silent Scream

Monica Piccinini

28 November 2023

Throughout this month, rampant fires engulfed the Pantanal in Brazil, one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands and home to endangered species and indigenous communities.

According to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) and the Alarmes System by LASA and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 1,272.050 hectares have already suffered devastation from fires this year, a figure three times higher than the recorded incidents in 2022.

SOS Pantanal executive director, Leonardo Gomes, described the situation:

“The theme of fire persists in the Pantanal. Since 2019, a combination of droughts and the repercussions of climate change have led to a significant number of hot spots emerging right in the middle of November, a month that typically experiences rainfall.”

Stretching across Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, the Pantanal covers an estimated 16 million hectares in total. Within Brazil, the Pantanal occupies portions of the states of Mato Grosso (35%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (65%).

The Pantanal is home to a diverse range of wildlife, featuring more than 2,000 plant species, 174 mammals, 580 birds, 271 fish, 131 reptiles, and 57 amphibians. Among its inhabitants are numerous vulnerable and endangered species, including the giant otter, giant anteater, giant armadillo, lowland tapir, and the world’s largest parrot, the hyacinth macaw. Additionally, the Pantanal hosts the highest density of jaguars globally.

Luciana Leite, biologist and climate campaigner, mentioned that the Pantanal is an important carbon sink, playing a fundamental role in regulating the climate of South America. Leite explained:

“This year, we confronted an atypical drought with rising temperatures and heat waves, and as a result, the fires returned. The shortage of firefighters, aircraft, machinery and expertise, posed challenges in addressing the fires, ranging from crown fires in forested areas of the biome, to peat fires that can persist and reignite without adequate post-event management and monitoring.”

In the summers of 2019 and 2020, the Pantanal experienced a shortage of rainfall, as indicated by climatologist José Marengo’s study. This was attributed to a decrease in the transport of warm and humid summer air from Amazonia to the Pantanal. Instead, there was a dominance of warmer and drier air masses from subtropical latitudes, leading to a scarcity of summer rainfall during the peak of the monsoon season. Consequently, the region endured prolonged periods of severe drought conditions.

Marengo described the 2019-2020 Pantanal fires:

“Fires caused on one hand by warmer air and lack of rain in the Pantanal, and on the other by the burning of areas to clear the vegetation for cattle to graze, resulted in environmental disaster.”

Steve Trent, Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) founder and CEO, mentioned:

“While so much of the wildlife and ecosystems in the Pantanal have been irrevocably destroyed, there is still time to rescue what remains. We’ve been campaigning for the EU to widen the scope of the regulation on deforestation-free products to include precious ecosystems beyond forests, to protect wetlands like the Pantanal.

“Already, land clearance in the Pantanal is accelerating, with 83% of a category known as “Other Natural Ecosystems” disappearing in 2020 to 2021 compared to the year before. Stronger regulations from the EU and Brazil are crucial to preserve what is left of the Pantanal.”

Total Devastation

*Photo: Gustavo Figueroa – SOS Pantanal*

“How much of the biome do we need to lose for the world to see what is happening? In 2020, almost 30% of the Pantanal biome burned. Scenes of jaguars with their paws raw went viral, as did the mockery and denialism of then-president Jair Bolsonaro,” mentioned Leite.

“Organised civil society was essential in fighting the fires, rescuing the victimised fauna, establishing watering and feeding points for animals that survived the flames and faced the so-called ‘silent hunger’, crossing decimated landscapes,” she added.

In 2020, fires claimed the lives of over 17 million vertebrates and released 115.6 million tonnes of CO₂, exceeding the carbon emissions of Belgium for that year.

“One of the contributing factors to the rapid spread of the fire is the loss of surface water. Since 1985, the Pantanal has lost 74% of its surface water,” said Leite.

Rodrigo Agostinho, the president of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), told me about one of the issues affecting the region:

“The Pantanal faces a set of challenges, with its lands experiencing increasing dryness. The installation of more than 500 small hydroelectric power plants (PCHs) in the Upper Paraguay river basin, a crucial water source for the region, has altered the natural rhythm of the waters, complicating the filling of the floodplain.”

“In the Pantanal, specific remote areas undergo rapid transitions from flooding to quick drying, in a time frame of approximately two months, leading to fires that make access to these locations impossible. The challenging conditions in these hard-to-reach regions further complicate effective management,” mentioned Gomes about his experience.

Some meteorologists attribute the surge in fires to the El Niño phenomenon, intensified by climate change. However, cattle farmers seeking to expand grazing land, a crucial economic activity in the Pantanal, may have initiated a substantial number of these fires.

According to a report by the Environmental Justice Foundation, EJF, a total area of 751,249.6 hectares of forest, savanna, grassland and wetland formations in the Pantanal were converted into pasture between 2010 and 2021. The estimated total cattle population in the Brazilian Pantanal stands at 3.8 million animals.

Between 2019 and 2022, an area equivalent to the size of Barcelona was deforested in the Pantanal. Unfortunately, this situation appears to be worsening, exacerbated by El Niño, climate change and the expansion of agribusiness.

Approximately 12% of the Pantanal’s native vegetation has vanished due to the growth of cattle farming and agricultural practices.

Agostinho mentioned:

“Although the Pantanal remains the most conserved biome in Brazil, deforestation rates have risen. The reduced humidity has led landowners to shift their investments towards agriculture.

“Land in the Pantanal is being sold at lower prices compared to those in other parts of Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. In more humid areas, landowners are directing investments towards drainage efforts to convert land into cultivated areas,” he added.

Trent asks for international cooperation:

“The beef we eat, from the UK to Italy, could be supplied by ranchers responsible for setting these destructive fires. This means the international community has a responsibility – but also an ability – to stop the Pantanal burning. It’s time for more regulation, including on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence, and enhancing and meeting international climate commitments.”

The local and indigenous communities are also suffering, as their land has been completely destroyed by the fires. At least 90% of the Guató indigenous land, located in the western state of Mato Grosso do Sul, was burned by the 2020 fires.

This year, the fires reached the backyards of inns in the region and very close to riverside communities.

*Dead monkey – Photo: Gustavo Figueroa – SOS Pantanal*

“In April, we carried out extensive planning to prevent and combat fires in the Pantanal, significantly increasing the number of firefighters. The combination of El Niño and escalating climate warming formed an explosive mix. Without our proactive preparations, the magnitude of the disaster would have been far more significant,” mentioned Agostinho.

Political Strife

“The Pantanal, with less than 5% of its area under protection, stands out as one of the biomes requiring urgent Conservation Units (UCs). During a conciliation hearing in March, a mandate was issued for the State Environmental Education Police (PEEA) to develop a management plan within 90 days.

“The Mato Grosso government’s failure to enact a plan containing directives for fire prevention and control constitutes a non-compliance with a court order,” explained Leite.

The majority of the Pantanal remains without protection, designated as private lands, and lacks targeted policies to tackle deforestation associated with cattle farming and soy production. In 2015, a decree was enacted in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, legalising cattle ranching within Permanent Protected Areas (PPAs).

In August 2022, a comparable bill was sanctioned by the state of Mato Grosso, endorsing the utilisation of Permanent Protected Areas (PPAs) and Legal Reserves (LRs) for cattle farming in the Pantanal biome.

“We are also witnessing a serious political issue centered on a jurisdictional dispute. The firefighters in Mato Grosso formally communicated with the federal government, expressing that their efforts were unwelcome. Consequently, 40% of Encontro das Aguas State Park ended up in flames and destroyed,” mentioned Leite.

Gomes highlighted his concerns:

“There is an immediate need for more robust planning and increased collaboration between the federal and state governments. The coordination and cooperation among agencies, including Ibama, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), and the Fire Department, must be further strengthened.

“Additionally, there is a necessity for improvements in field inspections, expertise to identify the root cause of fires, and the implementation of comprehensive management policies.

“Another point of frustration is the failure of Conservation Units (UCs) to set a positive example. Some state parks, despite having significant potential for finance revenue, lack the necessary investment. As a result, tackling fires within these parks becomes a nearly impossible task,” added Gomes.

A notable and disconcerting viewpoint articulated and defended by many local figures revolves around the idea that some local authorities deliberately procrastinate in controlling forest fires.

The hypothesis suggests that such delays serve a tactical purpose, enabling authorities to declare a state of emergency. This strategic move allows them to allocate resources without being constrained by the usual bureaucratic and bidding processes required during ‘normal times.’ This phenomenon is known as ‘the industry of fire.’

Fire Prevention Initiative

Liana O. Anderson, biologist and researcher at the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters (Cemaden), shared with me some information about a couple of interesting projects focused on fire prevention.

The first project is the Climate Science for Service Partnership (CSSP) Brazil, in collaboration with the MetOffice , which some of the results are available at the VIEWpoint website. As one of this project’s components, they developed a likelihood of fires up to three months ahead, which indicates priority areas. It serves as a valuable information source for guiding planning efforts to proactively prevent fire disasters.

“This product helps and shows when conditions tend to worsen, triggering the necessary mobilisations,” mentioned Liana.

Another interesting project associated with fire prevention involves the launch of the educational book titled “É Fogo!”, designed for education practitioners and is adapted to schools, associations and organisations interested in developing activities related to fire risk and impacts understanding and prevention. Liana explained:

“The primary goal is to convert local institutions into miniature “Cemadens,” serving as small research units equipped with tailored scientific methodologies for the general public. These units are specifically geared towards children and young individuals, empowering them to generate data and information. Through this process, the aim is to create awareness, self-protection skills, and reflective capacities.

“I am confident that these preventive tools can gradually reverse the widespread fire scenarios in the country. These efforts are dedicated to educating and informing individuals and institutions while also generating scientific information to support informed decision-making,” added Liana.

Marengo, the general coordinator for research at Cemaden, shared his insights through the findings of his studies. He mentioned that the expansion of agriculture, cattle farming, fishing and tourism should follow sustainable practices to ensure the preservation of the Pantanal. If the current trajectory of climate and land-management practices continues, the Pantanal would be at risk of disappearing.

He suggested that embracing anti-environmental policies could exacerbate this situation. The profound impacts of climate change are mostly felt in fragile ecosystems and the world’s most impoverished communities. To avert catastrophic consequences, urgent global action is imperative in the coming decades, requiring drastic changes by 2050 in alignment with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Trent delivers a message to both Brazil and the global community:

“Collective action should have been taken years ago to protect this one-of-a-kind wetland, but it isn’t too late. Now is the moment for global leaders to step up and do what is needed to meet their climate commitments, ending the climate crisis before crucial ecosystems like the Pantanal disappear forever.”

The BR-319 Highway: Amazon’s Trojan Horse

Monica Piccinini

08 November 2023

The Amazon drought in Brazil is unleashing a wave of environmental, health, economic, and social disruptions in the region, becoming a controversial and convenient tool manipulated by a group of politicians and business leaders to promote an ambitious infrastructure project – the reconstruction of the BR-319 highway, a stretch of 885.9 km, connecting the capital Manaus in central Amazonia to the southern edge of the forest, Porto Velho.

Pink river dolphins and fish are dying, as the Madeira, Negro and Solimões rivers reach record low water levels. This dire situation in the state of Amazonas, marked by scorching heat waves, smoke, insufficient rainfall, and severe drought, is a direct consequence of climate change, the El Niño phenomenon, deforestation, and ecosystem degradation.

The drought in the Amazon is obstructing the delivery of raw materials to the region, given that transportation primarily relies on river routes. Certain areas are facing shortages of food, medicine, drinking water, and even energy, leading to rationing measures.

Grain exporters are experiencing disruptions in their planned shipments to northern Brazilian ports because of the Amazon River drought and its limited navigational capabilities. Consequently, they’re forced to reroute their shipments to terminals in the southern and southeastern areas.

Lobbying and Misleading Pretexts

*Lobbying world cloud sphere concept – Photo 124523602 | Lobbying © Spettacolare | Dreamstime.com*

A strong lobbying effort led by a coalition of nearly 200 politicians, with the backing of certain media outlets, is escalating. They are using the Amazon drought as a justification to push for the reconstruction of BR-319, a road connecting Manaus, the capital of the Amazon, to Porto Velho. This action disregards the multitude of studies and scientific evidence that highlight the potential social, economic, health and environmental consequences this project may impose on the region.

A coalition consisting of state and federal representatives, senators, and governors from the Amazonian regions created the ‘Parliamentary Front for the Revival of BR-319.’ This group, led by Deputy Fausto Santos Junior, is advocating for the revival of the BR-319 highway.

Pressure is mounting from various directions as business representatives from the states of Rondônia, Roraima, and Amazonas participated in a virtual meeting with Santos Junior on October 25th. During this meeting, they urged the federal government to initiate the reconstruction of the BR-319 highway.

Santos Junior explained the delay in the approval of the BR-319 highway project when questioned by Debate Politico,

“The real reason is an environmentalist militancy in an institutional form, I will translate this word, these are people who follow the interests of international NGOs that are interested in harming Brazil’s development, that is the truth… These NGOs are financed with foreign capital… This is a form of commercial warfare that is carried out through these NGOs. This is already being investigated in the Senate through the CPI (parliamentary commission of inquiry) of NGOs, which is chaired by Senator Plínio Valério.”

Is the scrutiny of NGOs in Brazil being utilised as a strategy to reduce their influence on environmental protocols, possibly paving the way for large-scale projects in the Amazon without adhering to essential assessments, as well as reshaping partnerships away from Western partners to alternative stakeholders?

Deputy Fausto Santos Junior did not respond to my request for an interview.

Luiz Gastaldi Junior, owner of Nova Era supermarket chain and partner at Floresta Logistica, a logistics company, also expressed his concerns,

“In reality, it is a denial of citizenship, to all these people who are living and taking care of the Amazon, because in reality the integration of the Amazon, it is part of the national project to defend the Amazon, so the moment you deny access, you are also denying that there can be normal activity here.”

Gastaldi Junior is presently under investigation in Manaus for suspected involvement in the unlawful transportation of mining products, including gold.

Adelio Barofaldi, president of the Board of Directors of Pan Amazonia, president of the Association of Rural Landowners of Rondônia (ARPRO) and CEO of Rovema Group, expressed his full support for the BR-319 highway project. Barofaldi owns the largest network of car and truck dealers in the state and invests in energy and livestock.

Jonathan Benchimol, a prominent entrepreneur and managing partner at Fogás, a gas distribution company, is actively advocating for the restoration of the BR-319 highway,

“I’d like to remind people that during the oxygen crisis that occurred here in the city of Manaus and in the state of Amazonas during the Covid-19 scenario, the number of fatalities would have been much lower if BR-319 had been paved, oxygen could have flowed from Rondônia and other states of the federation through BR-319.”

In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Manaus was recognized as one of the global Covid-19 epicenters, where the Gamma variant originated and accounted for two-thirds of Covid-19 deaths in Brazil. In 2021, during the second wave of the pandemic, oxygen supplies were allowed to run out with catastrophic consequences.

Politicians and business leaders are exploiting the catastrophic pandemic oxygen crisis in the Amazon as a pretext to push for the BR-319 highway project.

Studies carried out by renowned scientists Lucas Ferrante and Philip Fearnside, revealed that the devastating oxygen crisis in Manaus during the second wave of Covid-19, was the result of the Bolsonaro’s administration’s lack of logistical strategy. They chose to distribute oxygen in the region based on an impassable BR-319 highway, instead of using the most appropriate and safest transportation method, the Madeira River.

This tragic incident, resulting in hundreds of avoidable deaths, continues to be exploited for political purposes, advocating for infrastructure projects in the region, such as the BR-319 highway project.

The lobbying groups supporting the BR-319 highway project seem to be primarily interested in capitalising on the economic potential of the Amazon, with little concern on environmental, health and social issues.

Opponents Face Abuse and Intimidation

Marina Silva, Brazil minister of environment and climate change, has been the subject of numerous assaults and harassment from a group of legislators who endorse the BR-319 highway project. They have labeled her as guilty, an enemy, and accused her of practicing cross-eyed politics.

“The people of the North are not second-rate people. We want respect, investments and infrastructure. Marina Silva is an enemy of BR-319,” said federal deputy Captain Alberto Neto on Instagram on September 27. Neto is a supporter of former president Jair Bolsonaro. He called Silva “the enemy of the North.”

*Source: Capitao Alberto Neto’s Instagram*

In September, senator Omar Aziz declared, “if any Amazonian goes hungry, it’s Marina Silva’s fault”, as Silva is against the reconstruction of BR-319 highway without a solid basis in technical assessments. She is deeply concerned about the potential social and environmental consequences of this project.

Scientists who voice their concerns regarding the social and environmental implications of the BR-319 project also face intimidation, verbal attacks and even death threats.

The Intercept Brasil conducted an interview with Ferrante at a point when he could share his distressing experience. During this time, he had become the focal point of persecution, intimidation, and death threats due to his revelation, through his research, of the erosion of the Bolsonaro government’s environmental policies. He also predicted and warned the government about the second wave of Covid-19 in Manaus.

In September 2021, Fearnside became the victim of a xenophobic assault during a public hearing regarding the approval of the BR-319 highway project in Amazonas. This incident occurred after Fearnside had voiced criticism of the BR-319 highway project’s execution.

Fearnside responded to the verbal attack,

“At the time I was giving this speech, I also received attacks from other people who were in the audience. It’s important not to be intimidated by this, and it’s also good to remember the Constitution that prohibits any type of discrimination, based on national origin. The most important thing is not the episode itself, but the subject of BR-319.”

Health, Social & Environmental Impact

Lucas Ferrante, an environmental scientist, and Philip Fearnside, a biologist at Brazil’s National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) and, who, together with other scientists in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, have jointly published multiple scientific studies that reveal the negative impacts of the BR-319 highway project on the Amazon rainforest.

“The reconstruction of BR-319 highway would provide agribusiness access to additional land, engage in more intensive livestock farming, and implement monoculture practices for large-scale biofuel production. Scientific studies published in both Land Use Policy and Nature suggest that this project could serve as an incentive for the expansion of cattle ranching, fossil fuel exploration and mining projects,” noted Ferrante.

Given the absence of governance in the vicinity of the BR-319 highway and the consistent pattern of deforestation along most Amazonian roads, the choice to reconstruct the BR-319 highway will bring catastrophic consequences. This decision will not only impact indigenous and riverside communities, it will also escalate deforestation rates, potentially leading to the collapse of the rainforest and the country’s rain cycle, as pointed out by a study published in Die Erde.

“Brazil must reassess infrastructure projects that increase deforestation in the region, and this includes examining the BR-319 highway project, which currently has 6,000 km of illicit extensions, a length six times greater than that of the BR-319 highway,” mentioned Ferrante.

The highway’s reconstruction is missing an essential economic feasibility study, as mandated by Law 5917/1973, and it has failed to undergo the necessary consultations with indigenous communities, as required by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 169 and Brazilian law 10,088/2019.

Fearnside revealed,

“Since 2015, the “maintenance” initiative for segments of the BR-319 highway has notably improved its trafficability. This initiative serves as a means to bypass the regulatory licensing process.

“Furthermore, the delay in the highway’s complete reconstruction can be attributed not only to its questionable economic viability, but also to the absence of an IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) license. Had a license been secured, it is likely that politicians would have allocated funds for the reconstruction, despite being aware of its economic impracticality.”

The BR-319 highway is not the only project we should be concerned about, explained Fearnside,

“Generally, there is a tendency to avoid any discussion of controversial infrastructure projects that are linked to the one that has a pending license. In this case, virtually all discussion is limited to the roadside of the BR-319 itself, ignoring the far-reaching effects of the side roads that a planned to link to this highway.

Most important is the planned AM-366 highway, which would allow deforesters to enter the vast area of the rainforest in the “Trans-Purus” region to the west of BR-319. Those evaluating the license application for the BR-319 highway project need to understand that approval would surely lead to subsequent building of the AM-366 highway, with enormous impacts for Brazil.

AM-366, classified as a state road, offers a relatively simpler licensing process. Plans in the area around this road include the oil and gas drilling blocks granted to the Russian oil company Rosneft in the planned “Solimões Sedimentary Area” project. AM-366 would also give access to a large area of “undesignated public land”, which is the most attractive for land grabbers, squatters, loggers and others. This situation could result in extensive deforestation, posing a catastrophic threat not only to Brazil but also to the global environment.”

A study conducted by Ferrante and Fearnside reveals the Amazon rainforest as a potential origin of the next pandemic. The study highlights how deforestation creates opportunities for disease agents to transition from the vast reservoir of various types of coronaviruses and other pathogens in the region into the human population. The Amazon’s precarious healthcare system further complicates the identification and containment of a new pandemic that might emerge from this area.

“Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and other tropical regions increases the risk of emergence of new human diseases by increasing contact between rainforest wildlife (such as bats) and the human population and its domestic animals. It also contributes to climate change, which can create conditions favoring the emergence of parasitic, fungal, viral and bacterial infections,” explained Fearnside.

Politicians in the state of Amazonas are avid to have the BR-319 highway project approved, as its value in attracting votes is, as Ferrante and Fearnside’s publications show, the real motivation for the project. There are also backers of the project who stand to make substantial profits from the road. Meanwhile, traditional communities and the Amazon rainforest are left in a struggle for survival, gasping for breath, as they endure the adverse consequences.

Brazil’s Yanomami and the Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods

Monica Piccinini

11 October 2023

The Yanomami live in the rainforests of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela and are considered the largest isolated tribe in South America. The Brazilian state, corporations and illegal activities have for decades violated their rights and caused the deaths of countless Yanomami. However, they now face a growing new threat – from ultra-processed foods.

In the far northern region of Brazil, the Yanomami population consists of approximately 27,000 individuals, spread across more than 300 villages within the Yanomami indigenous territory, in an area of 9,664,975 hectares.

The health conditions afflicting the Yanonami community, including malnutrition and chronic diseases, are a result of the violation of their rights, unstable socio-economic conditions, and ongoing invasions of their territory. These circumstances have led to a social-environmental vulnerability within their population, placing their families, particularly children, at risk of consuming ultra-processed foods.

A study conducted by Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Fiocruz, offers groundbreaking insights into the dietary patterns of Yanomami indigenous youth. It reveals that more than 90% of Yanomami aged 6 to 59 months exhibit short stature (linear growth stunting).

“Without a doubt, the Yanomami increased consumption of carbohydrates, sugar, salt, fat, food additives, and low-nutrient highly processed foods, contributes to nutritional and metabolic health concerns, specifically among their children,” explained Jesem Douglas Yamall Orellana, Fiocruz researcher of public health and epidemiologist at Fiocruz, and one of the authors of the study.

According to Orellana, the heightened consumption of ultra-processed foods among the Yanomami children not only significantly exacerbates their pre-existing health issues, but also gives rise to new ones.

Numerous research findings have established associations between ultra-processed foods and various health concerns, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, depression, multiple sclerosis (MS), cardiovascular disease, and even mortality.

Last month, Brazil’s national health council president, Fernando Zasso Pigatto, issued a recommendation with following note:

“Considering that, in the scenario of poverty and hunger, the Yanomami people are hostage to the supply of processed and ultra-processed products, in many cases expired, satisfying external interests, which worsens the scenario of infectious disease, malnutrition, deficiencies, nutritional and chronic diseases, such as the onset of diabetes, hypertension and obesity.”

Study Data

The study group reported that the minimally processed ‘regional’ foods consumed by the Yanomami consisted primarily of fruits (69%), followed by corn, roots, or tubers (45%), peach palm or palm heart (33%), fish or crab (33%), and couscous (32%), according to the most frequently mentioned items.

The ultra-processed foods most commonly mentioned were cakes or cookies (25%) and chocolate or chocolate powder (6%). Some also consume soft drinks, soda, candy, artificial juice and yogurt, canned foods, instant noodles, among other items.

The Fiocruz study was designed as a comprehensive survey for children residing in villages within three remote regions of the Brazilian Amazon, offering valuable data for this particularly under represented group.

The research group consisted of Yanomami children ranging from six months to five years old, and the investigation took place within three Yanomami communities located in the Brazilian Amazon: Maturaca, Ariabu, and Auaris.

*Map of the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, Brazilian Amazon. Image provided by Jesem Orellana.*

The residents of Maturaca and Ariabu villages usually have more regular interactions with non-indigenous communities, which include military personnel, healthcare workers, illegal miners, loggers and criminal groups.

In contrast, the Ariabu population is relatively isolated, having limited contact with urban communities. Consequently, they enjoy greater territorial mobility, affording them the freedom to practice their traditional way of life.

The research findings indicated that the consumption of ultra-processed foods was significantly more prevalent in children from Maturaca (11.6 times higher) and Ariabu (9.2 times higher) in comparison to the children from Auaris.

This observation emphasises the importance of social contact with non-indigenous communities as a critical factor influencing the consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Another intriguing finding from the study was a 31% reduction in ultra-processed food consumption among children whose mothers had shorter stature when compared to those whose mothers had a proper height.

Orellana explained, “Typically, the most economically disadvantaged mothers in the community can be identified as those with higher short stature rates, limited or no income, a background of enduring poverty, and a history of hardships that have stunted their growth into ‘short adults.’ These mothers lack the means to purchase and access ultra-processed foods, which, in turn, works to their advantage.”

The general occurrence of ultra-processed foods stood at 32%, and this was linked to both the location of residence and the height of the mothers.

The Culprits

The Yanomami are traditionally categorised as hunter-gatherers, but the frequent invasions of illegal miners, loggers, and criminal organisations into their territory have a direct influence on the areas from which they gather their food, consequently affecting their dietary patterns.

Their families are compelled to interact with non-indigenous communities, resulting in their exposure to urban centers and the consumption of ultra-processed foods with poor nutritional content, high energy density, low fibre and micronutrient content, and an abundance of preservatives and industrial additives.

According to Orellana, what caught the interest of the group of scientists was the correlation between the increased consumption of ultra-processed foods by the Yanomami and a higher likelihood of them abandoning their agricultural practices.

“The Yanomami were historically known for their semi-nomadic lyfestyle, moving to new areas every two years to allow their previously occupied lands to regenerate. Nowadays, they are reluctant to leave their territory due to the invasion of illegal miners, loggers and drug traffickers, which has instilled fear in them about the possibility of violent attacks,” explained Orellana.

Orellana added, “The Yanomami traditionally relied on their understanding of sun and lunar cycles, as well as rain and drought patterns, to observe and manage soil and land dynamics. However, recent shifts in weather patterns, including extreme climate conditions, have disrupted their ability to accurately determine the optimal planting times for crops like corn and cassava.

“Furthermore, they now face concerns about fishing due to the contamination of their rivers by illegal mining activities, particularly the presence of mercury. These environmental challenges have led the Yanomami to increasingly rely on ultra-processed foods, as they find themselves struggling to maintain their traditional practices.”

The developments observed among the Yanomami over the past two decades is similar to the experiences of nearly all indigenous populations in Brazil that have been in direct contact with non-indigenous communities for over 50 years.

“In the last nine months, we’ve observed specific actions undertaken by the federal government to address issues in areas previously identified as housing various invaders, and these actions have received considerable media coverage,” mentioned Orellana.

He detailed how certain national issues are manipulated and exploited by both the government and the media to further their interests:

“Extensive operations were conducted in these areas (Yanonami territory), featuring visits by the president and ministers. Once these matters were no longer the focal point, attention shifted to a different region. These undertakings are often referred to as ‘political spectacles’ rather than genuinely impactful operations.”

Climate change and frequent invasions into the Yanomami land by illegal miners, loggers, and criminal groups are the primary factors that impact their diet, well-being, and traditional lifestyle, making them crucial determinants of their survival.

Orellana pointed out several potential measures that could effectively address some of the problems impacting the Yanonami community:

“Immediate action is essential to establish control over the territory and impose severe and efficient penalties on intruders. Without these measures in place, the issues affecting the Yanomami, such as increased consumption of high-processed foods due to the disruptions in their traditional agricultural practices, which is detrimental to their well-being and cultural heritage, will persist without resolution.”

Article published in The Ecologist: https://theecologist.org/2023/oct/12/indigenous-tribes-made-ill-processed-foods

Article published in The Canary: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2023/10/10/yanomami-people-brazil-ultra-processed-food/

Article published in Portuguese in A Escola Legal: https://aescolalegal.com.br/blog/2023/10/11/yanomami-envenenados/

BR-319: Amazon’s Route to Deforestation

Monica Piccinini

27 September 2023

The reconstruction of Amazon’s BR-319 highway in Brazil, connecting the capital Manaus in central Amazonia to the southern edge of the forest, Porto Velho, is an ambitious and controversial infrastructure project, supported by many politicians and organisations, and a possible catalyst to further social and environmental degradation in the region.

The BR-319 highway project could result in increased illegal logging, violence, violations of indigenous rights, and catastrophic consequences to local communities and the environment, including irreversible deforestation, warn scientists.

Officially inaugurated in March 1976 during the era of the military dictatorship led by General Ernesto Geisel, BR-319 fell into a state of disrepair by 1980. In 2015, during Dilma Roussef’s administration, a proposal to revitalize BR-319 was put forth.

**BR-319 highway, linking Manaus, Amazonas, to Porto Velho, Rondônia. Image: Google Maps**

BR-319 highway, a stretch of 885.9 km, serves as an unguarded gateway to illicit side roads in areas with a high density of indigenous territories, legally designated reserves, and protected conservation areas. This accessibility grants illegal miners, loggers, settlers, and land invaders entry into untouched forest.

According to a study by scientists, Lucas Ferrante and Philip Fearnside, the reconstruction of BR-319 and the building of planned connecting roads would act as spearheads for deforestation and forest degradation in the western portion of the Brazilian Amazon.

“BR-319 highway cuts through one of the most preserved blocks of the forest, where it contains an enormous stock of carbon. This project is a threat to 63 indigenous lands and 18,000 indigenous people, not to mention the environment and biodiversity”, mentioned Ferrante.

(A) Deforestation along BR-319 highway from 1988 to 2020 (PRODES data). Deforestation in red represents cumulative deforestation from 1988 to 2014 before the highway “maintenance” program began. Deforestation in purple represents cumulative deforestation from 2015 to 2020 (i.e., during the “maintenance” program). (B) Points with land grabbing, illegal logging, illegal mineral prospecting and illegal land sales observed on BR-319 highway. The inset map of South America shows Brazil’s “Amazon Biome” region in green, Highway BR319 as a black line, and the area of the larger map as a red rectangle. Image provided by researcher Lucas Ferrante.

In the Brazilian Amazon, a staggering 94% of deforestation happened in the vicinity of both official and native roads, vividly illustrating how highways are significant catalysts of deforestation.

A study by Ferrante and Fearnside suggests that BR-319 and its proposed planned side-roads will lead to a deforestation surge of over 1,200% in the region spanning from the highway to Brazil’s border with Peru, primarily in the central Amazon.

The Amazon rainforest plays a vital role in the regional and global climate system, acting as a carbon reservoir, aids in the dispersion of trace gases and aerosols, and is a crucial part of the water cycle. Its contribution of moisture to other regions is instrumental for maintaining hydrological stability on both regional and global scales.

Justifications

The primary justifications presented by the current government for repaving BR-319 highway involve improving access to healthcare and education in the region, in addition to addressing national security concerns.

“The highway actually increases disparities in public health, which also demystifies the justification for bringing healthcare to municipalities,” explained Ferrante.

According to Ferrante and Fearnside, the road is not a priority for “national security” because it is far from Brazil’s borders. This information was announced in 2012 by the Brazilian Army’s commander for Amazonia and not mentioned anywhere in the Brazilian military’s 2008 National Strategy for Defense.

While scientists have issued warnings about the potential adverse outcomes this project could have on the region, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, continues to view it as a top priority.

In June 2022, prior to his presidential election, Lula emphasised the significance of the highway for the economies of both Amazonas and Rondônia.

Last month, Brazil’s transport minister, Renan Filho, went as far as proposing the utilisation of the ‘Fundo Amazonia’ to finance the reconstruction of BR-319, which he dubbed as “the most environmentally friendly roadway on the planet.”

Scientists Expose Negative Impact

**Unpaved illegal side road branching off BR-319. Photograph: The Mura Indigenous People**

The potential consequences of reconstructing the BR-319 highway, including the risk of deforestation, could affect an area exceeding 300,000 square km within the Amazon, surpassing the size of São Paulo state, according to the result of a study conducted jointly by the CPI (Climate Policy Initiative)/PUC-Rio and the Amazônia 2030 project.

The researchers concluded that BR-319 highway’s impact is anticipated to affect a population of approximately 320,000 individuals in nine municipalities. Within the area of influence of BR-319 are also 49 indigenous territories, 49 conservation zones, and 140,000 square kilometers of publicly owned forests without designated purposes.

In his latest study, Fearnside revealed that by 2100, the reconstruction of BR-319 highway would increase deforestation not only around the highway, but also in the regions with roads directly connected to BR-319, by a staggering 60% in relation to deforestation in the projected scenario without reconstruction.

Amazonas road network connecting to BR-319 includes federal highways BR-174, BR-230, BR-174 and state highways AM-254 and AM-354.

There are additional planned projects to build highways connecting to BR-319, including AM-366, AM-360, AM-343 and AM-356. Some of these highways will reach one the most preserved areas in the Amazon, known as the “Trans-Purus” region.

The BR-319 highway reconstruction project is deficient in two essential aspects mandated by the law: firstly, it lacks an economic feasibility study, known as the EVTEA, as stipulated by Law 5917/1973. Secondly, it has failed to conduct the necessary consultations with indigenous communities, as required both by International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 169 and Brazilian law 10,088/2019.

Based on Ferrante’s assertion, supported by his research highlighted in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities,

“The deforestation occurring along the central stretch of the BR-319 highway has resulted in a rise in malaria cases by 400%. This serves as an indicator, underscoring the potential for environmental degradation driven by the BR-319 highway to contribute to the emergence of a new pandemic.”

The reopening of this highway would also enable agribusiness expansion into new territories, including activities such as cattle farming, soybean and palm oil cultivation, the expansion of monoculture for large-scale biofuel production, as well as meeting the needs of fossil fuel companies, hydroelectric dams, mining operations, and other industries.

**Unpaved illegal side road and improvised bridge, branching off BR-319. Photograph: The Mura Indigenous People**

Ferrante calls attention to the latest attempt in dismantling Brazil’s environmental agenda and how it may affect the area surrounding BR-319 highway:

“The recent changes made by the National Congress during Lula’s administration, which involved the reduction of environmental protection laws and the relocation of CAR (Brazil’s National Environmental Registry of Rural Properties) from the environment ministry, could lead to a further surge in deforestation within the BR-319 highway area. This initiative lacks the essential governance and environmental and economic viability required for the project.”

Ferrante delivers a final message to Lula’s government:

“Lula’s administration has consistently lacked a positive environmental track record and has more recently indicated its backing for the BR-319 highway reconstruction initiative. It is essential that the government reevaluates this unviable project and takes into consideration the advice of experts and the findings of scientific research.”

Article published in The Ecologist: https://theecologist.org/2023/sep/27/amazons-route-deforestation

Article published in The Canary: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2023/09/27/br-319-amazon-deforestation/

‘The Toxic Poster Child of Europe’: The UK’s Controversial Pesticide Policies

Monica Piccinini

13 September 2023

The UK is falling even further behind Europe in its efforts to remove chemicals harmful to both human health and the environment from the market.

According to a study by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK), there are presently 36 pesticides authorised for use in the UK that are prohibited in EU nations.

Among the 36 approved pesticides, 13 are categorised as highly hazardous. This group includes four pesticides that pose a high toxicity risk to bees, one that contaminates water, and another that is highly toxic to aquatic organisms. The UK will continue to employ these 13 hazardous pesticides for an additional two to five years compared to EU nations.

Nick Mole, PAN UK’s policy officer, said:

“The UK is becoming the toxic poster child of Europe. The government has repeatedly promised that our environmental standards won’t slip post-Brexit. And yet here we are, less than four years later, and already we’re seeing our standards fall far behind those of the EU.

“With UK bees and other pollinators in decline, and our waters never more polluted, now is the time to be taking steps to protect nature. Instead, the government is choosing to expose British wildlife to an ever-more toxic soup of chemicals.”

*Photo 96685860 © Zimmytws | Dreamstime.com*

Additionally, PAN UK’s study unveiled an increasing concern for human health, displayed by the following list of 36 pesticides permitted in the UK, but prohibited in the EU:

12 are classified as carcinogens, capable of causing different types of cancer, including leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma;
Nine are endocrine disruptors (EDCs), which interfere with hormone systems and can cause birth defects, developmental disorders and reproductive problems, such as infertility;
Eight are ‘developmental or reproductive toxins’, which have adverse effects on sexual function and fertility in both adults and children, and can reduce the number of functionality of sperm and cause miscarriages;
Two are cholinesterase inhibitors, reducing the ability of nerve cells to pass information to each other and can impair the respiratory system, causing confusion, headaches and weakness;
One is classified as acutely toxic, meaning that adverse health effects can result either from a single exposure or from multiple ones in a short period of time (usually 24 hours).

The majority of the chemicals in question (30) were allowed for use in the EU when the UK left on 31 January 2020, but have since been removed from the EU market. The remaining six chemicals have been approved by the UK government, but not in the EU, since Brexit.

One of the primary reasons for the disparity in standards originates from a decision made by the UK government. They have granted an automatic three-year extension to all pesticides with licenses set to expire before December 2023, indicating limited governmental capacity for re-approving pesticides.

Previously, the UK had a policy of granting a maximum 15-year license to pesticides before requiring re-approval, acknowledging the substantial risks these chemicals pose to both human health and the environment.

“The UK government promised to drive a reduction in pesticide use back in 2018 and yet we’re still waiting for them to take action”, added Mole.

Photo 137761746 | Brexit Britain © Honourableandbold | Dreamstime.com

These measures will also affect trade deals between the UK and EU, explained Mole:

“The Emerging gap between the UK and EU pesticide standards is incredibly concerning for our human health and environmental protections, but also for the future of UK agriculture as our standards fall further and further behind those of our largest trading partner.

“UK food exports containing pesticides that EU growers aren’t allowed to use, are likely to be rejected. Given that the EU still accounts for around 60% of UK agricultural exports, the impact on farmers could be devastating.”

PAN UK urges the UK government to, at the very least, maintain alignment with EU pesticide norms and prevent any further deterioration of existing UK standards.

Additionally, PAN UK advocates for the immediate implementation of long-overdue measures, including pesticide reduction targets, the halt of pesticide use in urban areas, and the enhancement of state support for farmers to reduce their reliance on agrochemicals.

The UK pesticide policies will have far-reaching effects, impacting not just the health of individuals and the environment, but also our farmers and our trade agreements with the EU, our largest trading partner.

Article published in The Ecologist: https://theecologist.org/2023/sep/13/toxic-poster-child-europe

Article published in The Canary: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2023/09/13/uk-pesticides-post-brexit-policies/

Pesticides and the Climate Crisis: Fossil Fuel Dependency Exacerbates Impact

Monica Piccinini

5 July 2023

In the quest to understand and combat climate change, our attention is often drawn to the colossal emissions produced by fossil fuels. However, beneath the surface lies another insidious contributor to our warming planet: pesticides.

While these chemicals have long been associated with their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health, a lesser-known truth is their direct link to the fossil fuel industry.

As we delve into the hidden world of greenhouse emissions, a startling revelation emerges – the use of pesticides has become an accomplice in perpetuating the climate crisis, casting a shadow over our efforts to create a sustainable future.

Globally, food systems account for over one third of all greenhouse gas emissions, which includes agriculture and pesticide use.

Scientific evidence suggests that the use of pesticides not only plays a significant role in the generation of greenhouse gas emissions, but also heightens the susceptibility of our agricultural systems to the impacts of climate change. However, the potential of pesticide reduction as a viable solution to the climate crisis has been widely overlooked.

Doug Parr, chief scientist and policy director at Greenpeace UK said:

“Public understanding of the role that fossil fuel companies have played in driving the climate emergency has increased hugely in the last few years, and now we know that we need to add the pesticide industry to the list of climate polluters. Reducing the use of pesticides would be at least a double in addressing nature decline and climate crisis.”

According to a report by PAN UK, Pesticide Action Network, and The Pesticide Collaboration, titled “Pesticides and The Climate Crisis: A Vicious Cycle”, 99% of all synthetic chemicals, including pesticides, are derived from fossil fuels.

The world’s largest oil and gas companies, including ExxonMobil, Shell and ChevronPhillips Chemical, produce pesticides or their chemical ingredients.

Some pesticides, such as sulfuryl fluoride, are powerful greenhouse gases, having nearly 5,000 times the potency of carbon dioxide.

*Photo: ID 46018102 © Ig0rz @ Dreamstime.com*

Pesticides have a significant impact on the climate emergency throughout their lifecycle, involving various stages from manufacturing to disposal. Here are some ways pesticides exacerbate the climate crisis:

Manufacturing: The production of pesticides involves energy-intensive processes that often rely on fossil fuels. From the extraction of raw materials to the synthesis of active ingredients, greenhouse gas emissions are generated, contributing to climate change.

Packaging: Pesticides are typically packaged in materials derived from fossil fuels, such as plastic containers. The production and disposal of these packaging materials further contribute to carbon emissions and environmental pollution.

Transportation: Pesticides are often transported over long distances from manufacturing facilities to distribution centres and end-users. The use of fossil fuel-powered vehicles for transportation adds to the carbon footprint associated with pesticides.

Application: During pesticide application, emissions occur due to the use of mechanised equipment and vehicles. Additionally, some pesticide formulations release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, contributing to air pollution, climate change and impacting our health by damaging the central nervous system and other organs, some causing cancer.

Environmental Degradation: Pesticides can have detrimental effects on ecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss and disruptions in natural processes. This ecological damage can further impact the climate crisis by destabilising ecosystems that help regulate the planet’s climate, such as forests and wetlands.

Disposal: Improper disposal of pesticides, such as through incineration or landfilling, can release harmful chemicals into the environment. Inefficient disposal methods can contribute to soil and water pollution, affecting ecosystems and potentially releasing greenhouse gases like methane.

Overall, the entire lifecycle of pesticides, from manufacturing and packaging to transportation, application, and disposal, contributes to the climate emergency through various emissions, environmental degradation, and pollution. Understanding these impacts is crucial for developing sustainable alternatives and practices in agriculture and pest management.

Agriculture

*Aerial image of tractor working in field*
*Photo: ID 172643586 © Jevtic | Dreamstime.com*

With increasing temperatures, there is a corresponding surge in pest populations, leading to decreased crop resilience. Consequently, a greater quantity of pesticides becomes necessary.

The heightened reliance on pesticides subsequently fosters the proliferation of resistance among insects and weeds towards herbicides and insecticides. Moreover, it perpetuates the detrimental impact on human health and the environment.

The study conducted by PAN UK, Pesticide Action Network, and The Pesticide Collaboration, “Pesticides and the Climate Crisis: A Vicious Cycle”, highlights the anticipated outcome of climate change on farming practices.

It suggests that farmers may resort to intensifying the use of synthetic pesticides, unless we initiate a shift towards more sustainable forms of agriculture, embracing smaller-scale and diversified agroecological methods.

The study also outlines how agricultural pests will respond to climate change, including crop resilience decline, the shifting of pest populations and reach, impacts on pests’ natural enemies, the increase in weeds and the rise in regionalism and unpredictability.

Commodity crops, such as maize, soybeans, rice, cotton and wheat, are among those with the greatest use of pesticides and fertilisers globally.

Between 2005 and 2020, the global use of pesticides witnessed a notable upswing of 17%. However, the application of herbicides experienced an even more substantial surge of 34%.

China, the United States, Argentina, Thailand and Brazil emerged as the leading consumers of pesticides, contributing to these escalating figures.

Nevertheless, it’s important to note that these statistics likely underestimate the true extent of pesticide use due to various factors, such as underreporting and unrecorded applications. For instance, the inclusion of pesticides used as seed treatments is lacking in the UN Food and Agriculture database, thereby contributing to the underestimation.

In 2020, the UK used over 13,018 tonnes of pesticide active ingredients. One of the most widely used active substances was the herbicide glyphosate.

A total of 2,602 tonnes of glyphosate was sprayed on all UK crops during 2020, a 16% rise over four years, generating 81,410 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to more than 75,000 flights from London to Sydney. This figure does not include the large amount that is used in other areas, such as towns, cities and private gardens.

Josie Cohen, head of policy and campaigns at PAN UK, said:

“The government urgently needs to take a joined-up approach to tackling the climate and nature crisis, as they go hand-in-hand. The solutions to these emergencies must not undermine each other. The UK’s net zero target cannot be achieved without transforming agriculture including a major reduction in pesticide use, which will also bring huge benefits to nature and biodiversity.”

Farming methods that avoid synthetic pesticides, such as agroecological systems or diversified organic farming, offer multiple benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration.

Moreover, these approaches improve the ability of farms to withstand climate change and combat pests by bolstering various ecosystem services. These services include improving water quality and availability for crops, enhancing soil health, boosting crop resilience against pests and diseases, and fostering increased populations of pollinators and natural pest control agents.

In light of the climate crisis and its far-reaching consequences on various aspects of our lives and the environment, it has become increasingly imperative to shift away from the prevalent chemical-intensive agricultural practices and embrace a biological approach.

This transition is crucial to safeguard our wellbeing and survival, as it directly influences our health, soil quality, air and water purity, food production, and the delicate balance of biodiversity.

Pesticide-Induced Cancer and Nature’s Silent Demise – Latest UK Government Figures Expose Alarming Trends

Monica Piccinini

14 June 2023

Official UK government pesticide usage data reveals that the use of glyphosate in UK farming is increasing, despite a recent government promise to “reduce reliance on the use of conventional chemical pesticides.”

According to analysis by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) and the latest figures, the amount of glyphosate used in UK agriculture grew by more than 360 tonnes (16%) between 2016 and 2020, while the area of land sprayed with the pesticide increased by 9%, amounting to 230,000 hectares, three times the size of Greater Manchester.

Nick Mole, PAN UK’s policy officer, mentioned:

These latest figures, while shocking, are actually a huge underestimation of our exposure to glyphosate since they only relate to farming. Meanwhile, glyphosate is also sprayed liberally in most UK towns and cities.

The negative impacts of glyphosate on human health and the environment are well-documented. With cancer rates and biodiversity loss both rising, it’s crazy that we continue to endanger the health of rural residents, farmworkers and wildlife when there are plenty of safer and more sustainable alternatives available.

One of the primary concerns associated with glyphosate is its potential impact on human health. Several studies have suggested a possible link between glyphosate exposure and various health issues, such as an increased risk of cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialised agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. However, other regulatory agencies, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a significant risk to human health when used according to approved guidelines.

Environmental concerns are another area of contention surrounding glyphosate use. The herbicide’s widespread application can lead to its presence in soil, water bodies, and food crops, potentially impacting ecosystems and non-target organisms.

*Photo: ID 204609809© Ricochet69 | Dreamstime.com*

Glyphosate has been linked to adverse effects on aquatic organisms, including fish and amphibians, and there are concerns about its potential impact on pollinators, such as bees, which are crucial for agricultural productivity and biodiversity.

Additionally, the long-term use of glyphosate can lead to the development of herbicide-resistant weeds, commonly known as “super-weeds.” Continuous exposure to glyphosate can exert selection pressure on weed populations, promoting the growth of resistant individuals that are no longer susceptible to the herbicide. This phenomenon necessitates the increased use of glyphosate or other herbicides, leading to potential environmental harm and higher costs for farmers.

PAN UK’s report also reveals that the use of a number of other highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs), a UN concept used to identify particularly harmful pesticides, is also on the rise, including:

2,4D, a herbicide highly toxic to bees and possible carcinogen and suspected endocrine disruptor, which can interfere with hormone systems;
Imazalil, a fungicide linked to cancer and classified as a ‘developmental or reproductive toxin’, which can negatively affect sexual function and fertility;
Cyantraniliprole and lambda-cyhalothrin, insecticides highly toxic to bees.

With the clock ticking on the biodiversity crisis, and the UK already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, we must move further and faster. Absolutely key is supporting farmers to transition away from chemical dependence and towards more nature-friendly methods of production, warned Mole.

Whilst conducting their analysis, PAN UK’s noted some major problems with the government’s pesticide usage figures, including numbers being changed retroactively and discrepancies between data sets that are supposed to be identical.

The organisation is calling on the UK government to urgently improve pesticide usage monitoring and data, increase support for farmers to reduce pesticide use and introduce non-chemical alternatives, establish reduction targets to drive a decrease in both use and toxicity, end use of pesticides that are harmful to bees and other pollinators, and finally publish the long-awaited National Action Plan on Sustainable Use of Pesticides that was promised for 2018.

The debate surrounding glyphosate and HHPs’ health risks, environmental impact, and the need for alternative weed control methods continues to evolve.

It is essential for the government, regulatory agencies, scientists, farmers, and the public to remain vigilant, informed, and engaged to ensure toxic chemicals are urgently replaced with non-chemical alternatives.

We Need to Talk About Our Food Systems

Monica Piccinini

8 June 2023

Our global food systems are highly complex and serve many constituent parts. It’s responsible for making available fresh produce throughout the year in countries and regions that historically have been very limited in their food produce. Viewed in a positive light, the systems serve the needs of many.

However, as the global food systems have evolved over time, it has increasingly been focused on monetary gain for corporate stakeholders and less about serving the needs of the global populous.

The increasing focus on economic gain from the global food systems can be evidenced as a cause of wide scale sickness, hunger, poverty, sickness, homelessness, poisoning of our land, water, air, plants, animals, our bodies and minds.

The food industry is considered as a major drive of climate change, responsible for one third of world GHG emissions (IPCC 2019), land-use change and biodiversity loss (40% of earth’s surface), major user of freshwater resources (70% of global freshwater) and a major polluter of terrestrial aquatic systems through the use of chemicals.

During the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023 in London, Philip Lymbery, global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, highlighted the fact that we rely more and more on a small number of countries for the production of major crops on which we depend on. When certain world events occur, such as conflicts and the Covid-19 pandemic, and global supply chains are disrupted, the entire food system is impacted.

*Philip Lymbery at the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023, London*

The countries we rely on, mainly in the global south, are forced to invest in “cash crops” for exports, not producing enough to feed their own population. They produce raw materials that we then process and sell it back to them in the form of finished food products, mainly as a result of their huge debt, explained Lymbery.

Food security is another issue, as we have witnessed in recent years a record high in food prices, global hunger and social inequities that result from the industrial farming systems, not just from conflicts and climate change. We are producing enough food to feed the entire world, but what we’ve seen is a mismatch between supply and demand, a financialisation of agriculture systems and markets, as well as an increase in power concentration.

Lymbery said, “These companies are taking our food systems hostage for their thirst for profits.”

“Food systems are often shaped by politics, rather than policies”, he added.

Our food systems are also impacting our health and making us sick. According to Marco Springmann, senior researcher in environment and health at the Environmental Change Institute at University of Oxford, the cost of treating diet-related diseases is projected to exceed USD 1 trillion by 2030, also putting a strain on health systems around the world.

“Food that brings you sickness and disease is not food, it’s poison”, said Dr. Vandana Shiva, Indian environmentalist, physicist and author, during one of her speeches at the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023 in London.

*Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023, London – Photo Credit: Robbie Blake, IPES-Food*

Power Concentration

We are experiencing growing concentration in our food systems, as the number of corporations controlling everything, from inputs up through retail are getting smaller.

According to Jennifer Clapp, Canada research chair & professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at University of Waterloo, and IPES Food “Who’s Tipping the Scales” report, only top six agrochemical companies control 78% of the global market, the top six animal pharmaceuticals control 72%, the top six farm machinery control 50%, the top six seeds companies control 58% and the top five global grain traders control between 70-90%.

Jennifer Clapp at the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023, London – Photo Credit: Robbie Blake, IPES-Food

Four major grain traders control approximately 80% of the trade in cereals worldwide, the ABCD firms, ADM (Archer-Daniels-Midland), Bunge, Cargill and Dreyfus; and four major food processing and packaging companies dominate the global market, Nestle, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Bush InBev and JBS.

Since 2015, we’ve seen mega mergers in the seeds and agrochemicals industry, making these corporations even more dominant and powerful. Some of the mergers include Bayer and Monsanto, ChemChina and Syngenta, Dow and Dupont merged to form Corteva, Agrium and Potash Corp merged to form Nutrien.

Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights and co-chair of IPES-Food, mentioned that giant dominant food corporations acquired the position in decision making to veto any transformative change.

According to him, “it’s not because of corruption of politicians or the finance lobbyists working on their behalf, it’s because they are the champions of economic gain of large scale production that global commodities markets demand.”

“This allows these corporations to say to politicians, “trust us”, we know how to produce food for mass consumption, … if you impose too strong regulations on us, you’ll be faced with higher prices that your voters will have to face. This is what allows them to have a privileged access to politicians”, he added.

He explained that these companies manage to get protection from legislators for intellectual property rights for the new “breeds” that they develop, as well as the new technologies that they promote. Additionally, they can very easily challenge environmental regulations. The State ends up in the hands of these economic actors and ends up working for them.

*Olivier De Schutter at the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023, London – Photo Credit: Robbie Blake, IPES-Food*

These corporations also control the labour conditions of the food system worker, the products that end up in the supermarkets shelves, and have the power to shape government policies. Small-scale producers don’t stand a chance when faced with such powerful competition.

In order to democratise our food systems, we need to increase transparency and accountability.

It’s necessary to set up a worldwide robust anti-trust and competition legislation and food policy, as well as creating a lobby register, which is already in place in some countries, in order to limit the concentration of power of the big agrifood corporations

We should be listening to farmers and working with them to identify solutions that will not only be beneficial to them, but also to our health and the environment, instead of filling the pockets of greedy corporations.

“We also need more public support for alternative food systems, in particular, research and development money going towards agroecology and organic agriculture”, mentioned Clapp.

She added that it’s now necessary for the State to step back in like they did in the past, when they played a prominent role during the last transition to industrial agriculture with R&D and hybridisation in fertilisers and other sectors.

There’s a need control those actors that have the power to shape our policy spaces, including measures that prevent conflicts of interests, where corporate officials end up as regulators and go back to work in the corporate sector.

Lastly, there’s the need to create an autonomous space for civil society to determine and control the rules and governance they’d like to see happen.

It’s a Profitable & Greedy Business

*Photo: ID 37710625 © Syda Productions | Dreamstime.com*

According to Planet Tracker, a non-profit think tank, nearly USD 9 trillion of private finance is currently supporting the global food system.

“Financial regulations have become weakened to the extent that they’ve allowed big financial institutions like banks and investment houses to create new financial products for investors to speculate on food commodities”, explained Jennifer Clapp during the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023.

The price of commodities can swing much higher or lower than supply and demand would normally indicate and this creates price volatility, consequently generating profit for these institutions.

“There’s another aspect of financial concentration, where asset management firms own huge portions of the global food systems. The ABCD firms, ADM, Bunge, Cargill and Dreyfus, make huge windfall profits when food commodity prices swing. We saw this happening in 2008, and once again, in 2022, when Russian invaded Ukraine”, added Clapp.

Asset management firms, Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street and Capital Group, manage people’s pensions, trillions of assets worth over USD 20 trillion in the global economy. They are buying shares in almost all the companies across the entire agrifood supply chain, which means they have a shared interest in those companies being profitable, therefore creating an incentive for collusion.

Clapp mentioned that economists are concerned about this issue, which is called common ownership, leading to a reduction in competition, as well as leading to higher prices and encouragement of mergers and acquisitions, creating even bigger companies.

The danger of this situation is the fact that it allows them to hold more power to shift food systems in a certain direction, enabling them to shape markets in a way that it can affect prices that consumers pay. Prices are kept low for the agriculture and livestock producers and high for consumers. They also have the power to determine what technologies are going to dominate the market.

Clapp proposed a few solutions to some of these problems, including stronger rules in the financial markets, rules to curb speculation, better reporting, better limits on financial actors in these markets, as well as rules limiting asset managers owning the entire scope of the food systems.

Health Hazards, New Pandemics & Antimicrobial Resistance

*Photo: 117616099 / Antimicrobial Resistance © Designer491 | Dreamstime.com*

Industrial animal production may be a driver of future pandemics. The confinement of high number of animal in small spaces, leave them much more susceptible to viruses and infections, with the potential to evolve into more infectious types, explained Melissa Leach, social anthropologist and geographer, director of the Institute of Development Studies, IDS, during the Extinction or Rebellion Conference 2023.

All recent infectious diseases outbreaks and pandemics are zoonotic, as they originate in animals. Wildlife domestic and farmed animals and humans all interact in intense interfaces where spillover can occur.

The World Health Organisation, WHO, describes antimicrobial resistance, AMR, as the overlooked pandemic. It contributes to treatment failures, increasing human vulnerability to a wide range of infections.

Some of the latest figures suggest that AMR will cause 10 million deaths by the year 2050, more than from cancer, diabetes and pneumococcal diseases combined.

“Key causes of AMR are the overuse of antibiotics in livestock to promote growth and routinely prevent diseases, especially in intensified livestock farming”, mentioned Leach.

*Melissa Leach at the Extinction or Regeneration Conference 2023, London – Photo Credit: Robbie Blake, IPES-Food*

A study published by The Lancet, Global Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in 2019, estimates that there were 1.27 million deaths globally due to AMR in 2019, and 4.96 million deaths associated with AMR, compared with 6.9 million deaths globally from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

According to Cóilín Nunan, scientific adviser to the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, certain types of antibiotics used in animal farming have led to the rise and spread of livestock associated strains of MRSA and clostidrium difficile.

There’s also the resistance to colistin, used as a last resort antibiotic in human medicine for treating life-threatening infections on patients who don’t respond well to other antibiotics, added Nunan.

Scientists from Oxford University released a study showing Escherichia coli bacteria that acquired resistance to colistin in animal farming. According to Nunan, this is an issue of concern and may be more dangerous than AMR, as it may be more able to cause infections in humans.

In Europe, over 60% of antibiotics are used in farmed animals, rather than in medicine. Globally, the figure rises to nearly 70%.

*Photo: ID 118875273 © Petr Goskov | Dreamstime.com*

The health impact caused by our food systems is putting a real strain on health systems around the world. There’s been a rise in conditions, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, cardiovascular diseases and certain types of gastro-intestinal cancer, amongst others, all related to our diets.

We can no longer deny the urgent need to embrace more sustainable food systems solutions, support and listen to our farmers, respect and protect Indigenous peoples, our land and the environment, which we are highly dependent on.

The concentration of power within our food systems should be limited and a new model replaced instead, to ensure there’s fairness and equality, access to healthy and nutritious food for everyone, everywhere, and that our health and the health of our planet is protected and respected.

Brazilian Scientists’ Hopes and Expectations for the Future

Monica Piccinini

10 May 2023

The election of Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, ‘Lula’, in October 2022, brought a sense of relief and hope to the Brazilian scientific community.

Just over three months into his administration, Lula’s challenging task to fulfill all the promises he made before he came into power became apparent. The populous of Brazil, along with the rest of the world, is watching what happens next.

In the past four years, the country has faced considerable challenges, including budget cuts in science and technology, the spread of misinformation leading to the denial of climate change, anti-vaccine movements, and the use of ineffective drugs against COVID-19, amongst many others.

“Brazil is once again reconciling economic growth with social inclusion. Rebuilding what was destroyed and moving forward. Brazil is once again a country without hunger. While preparing the ground for infrastructure work that was abandoned or ignored by the previous government, Brazil is again taking care of health, education, science and technology, culture, housing and public safety”, declared Lula during the meeting at Brasilia’s Planalto Palace in April.

A group of five renowned scientists share their views and expectations about scientific policies in Brazil, published at Nature Human Behaviour this month.

Mercedes Maria da Cunha Bustamante, biologist, Pedro Gabriel Godinho Delgado, doctor and psychiatrist, Lucas Ferrante, ecologist and researcher, Juliana Hipólito, biologist, and Mariana M. Vale, ecologist, highlight key areas of concern to be addressed by the current government.

Public Health & the Environment

*Illustration 144851985 / Brazil Public Health © Gunay Aliyevs | Dreamstime.com*

According to Lucas Ferrante, the past government was notable for the prominent role of scientific denialism. Ministers were chosen for their ideology, rather than their technical ability, and scientific advice was simply ignored.

The second catastrophic COVID-19 wave in the Amazon, making Brazil one of the global epicentres for the disease, could have been prevented if the past government had listened to scientific advice.

The absence of a technically oriented government under Jair Bolsonaro’s administration also increased deforestation in the Amazon rainforest at an alarming rate, threatening the environment, traditional and indigenous communities, as well as climate change goals, wrote Ferrante.

He also mentioned that despite the change in government, there’s the need to remember past events.

During Lula’s two previous terms as president (2003-2010), he showed worrying denialistic tendencies, ignoring scientific reports and scientists’ advice. An example of this was the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam disaster, which affected the Xingu River and traditional communities, causing a catastrophic socio environmental impact.

Essential plans should include blocking major infrastructure projects in the Amazon rainforest, such as the reconstruction of BR-319 highway linking Manaus to Porto Velho, which will affect traditional and indigenous communities, biodiversity and increase deforestation in the region, as well as agriculture production chains that could give rise to a new pandemic.

Brazil’s biodiversity is extremely rich, but lacks surveys of viruses circulating in its fauna, therefore a well established surveillance programme is required in order to reduce the risk of new pandemics emerging through viral spillover, declared Mariana M. Vale.

Nísia Trindade, Brazil’s health minister, mentioned during a lower house hearing last month that the country should be gearing up for future pandemics by investing in science, technology and Brazil’s national healthcare system, SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde).

*Illustration 98533932 / Brazil Environment © Cienpies Design / Illustrations | Dreamstime.com*

Juliana Hipólito highlighted another significant issue of concern, society’s lost value and interest of science in their daily lives. As a consequence, this lead to an increase in deforestation rates, climate change denialism, anti-vaccine movements and the use of ineffective unproven drugs against COVID-19.

The past government’s dismantling of environmental policies increasing deforestation and the approval of a large number of toxic pesticides is also something the science community expects to be reversed, she added.

According to experts, Brazil’s use of pesticides increased exponentially in the last few years, growing 300,000 tonnes since 2010. Approximately 80% of the pesticides authorised for commercialization in Brazil are prohibited in at least three countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) of the European community.

In the field of mental health, Pedro Gabriel Godinho Delgado expects to see development of long-term projects to better understand the interfaces between mental health suffering and the profound social inequality and precariousness of life in Brazil.

According to him, urban violence, racism, stigma, gender prejudice, loss of childhood and adolescence and their relationship with human suffering, should no longer be marginal and must be included amongst the priorities of research. The long-term consequences of COVID-19 on mental and physical health also deserve special attention from researchers.

Investments, Social Justice & Equity

*Illustration 34989348 © David Castillo Dominici | Dreamstime.com*

Divestment is an issue of concern, as Brazil’s previous government cut considerably investment in scientific and educational organisations. There was a huge drop in investments in INPE (National Institute for Space Research), INPA (National Institute of Amazonian Research), CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), and federal universities.

According to Hipólito, budget cuts skyrocket during the past government. Research funding and the budget of leading science and technology funding agencies were reduced by 60% from 2014 to 2022.

Socio-economic conditions have been sacrificed as a result of the cuts, therefore affecting the country’s capacity for the innovation and economic diversification.

Mercedes Maria da Cunha Bustamante mentioned the urgent need to support vulnerable groups (women, the youth and the poorest – most of them people of colour) in Brazil with the demand for public policies that would put the country back on track towards social justice and equity.

Reducing poverty, combating climate change and biodiversity decline are intrinsically connected.

The current administration also needs to focus on improving education from elementary level, adds Bustamante. A similar scenario is seen at public universities, which were affected by budget reductions under the last government. Brazilian public universities account for most of the national scientific production and are major drivers of social inclusion.

It’s essential to increase diversity, she added, as it’s vital for addressing societal demands through the generation of new knowledge, making Brazil attractive again for young scientists and allowing science to have a more prominent role in policy making.

Vale pointed out that white male individuals still dominate Brazilian academia and highlighted the need to strengthen and improve existing policies on diversity, equity and inclusion in science, especially regarding black and indigenous people.

Brazil has seen a massive exodus of scientists, leaving their jobs to work abroad, where their skills are most valued. The current government should set up a development and retention plan, encouraging and supporting scientists across the country.

Although the scientific community remains confident and positive, it’s crucial that they continue to defend science, and that the general population are not deceived into thinking that a change in governance alone is sufficient to bring about the needed improvements in public health and the environment, mentioned Ferrante.

The voice of scientists who dedicate their entire lives to protecting and bettering our daily lives couldn’t be louder and should be heard. Perhaps it’s time for Brazilian society, politicians, institutions and corporations to fully support this community that has been undervalued for so long.

Who Controls What We Grow and Eat?

Monica Piccinini

9 May 2023

Similar to our current political & economic systems, the food system is no longer serving us; mainly driven by power, profit and greed, resulting in global food insecurity and impacting directly on our health and the environment.

We’ve seen a sharp increase in food insecurity worldwide, driven not only by climate change and multiple conflicts, but also by an unbalanced food system fuelled by corporate power.

As the world population is projected to reach 9.8 billion in the next 27 years, there’s an urgent need to address issues related to our food system, or we may be facing a worldwide famine sooner than expected. We’ve already seen signs of this in many parts of the world.

“The right to food is the right to have regular, permanent and unrestricted access—either directly or by means of financial purchases— to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate and sufficient food corresponding to the cultural traditions of the people to which the consumer belongs, and which ensure a physical and mental, individual and collective, fulfilling and dignified life free of fear”, according to the United Nations.

Corporate Power

*Photo 77536321 © Daniil Peshkov | Dreamstime.com*

Giant agribusiness corporations hold the power and control over our food systems, with the ability to influence governments and decision-makers, through lobbying, with the direct intention of shaping policies in many ways.

Their objectives and tactics are questionable, with the tendency to favour their own interests, focusing on profits and maximising shareholder value, rather than addressing hunger and malnutrition.

According to ‘Who’s Tipping the Scales’, a report published by IPES Food, the international panel of experts on sustainable food systems:

“A bold, structural vision to counter the corporate takeover of food-related global governance – one that support central roles for people, governments, and democratic, public-interest-based decision-making, is urgently needed.”

It’s clear that the voices of the most vulnerable communities across the world, and mostly affected by hunger and environmental impact caused by this industry, must be heard.

These giant and dominant agribusiness corporations influence the global organisations we most trust, which should be there to defend our interests. To the surprise of many, agribusiness associations were sitting directly at the UN governance table at the 2021 UNFSS, UN Food Systems Summit.

One must also question the kind of relationship between the private sector and international governance bodies and institutions about potential conflicts of interest.

According to the IPES Food report, in 2020, a private philanthropic foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was the second largest donor to the CGIAR, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

Another partnership that raises some eyebrows is the FAO’s, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, partnership with CropLife International, CLI, an agrochemical lobby organisation, whose members include Syngenta, BASF, FMC and Bayer (acquired Monsanto in 2018).

PAN North America, Pesticide Action Network, mentioned that instead of putting the profit of CropLife International members before farmers and consumers worldwide, the FAO must invest in solutions, including agroecology and take stronger action on ending the usage of highly hazardous pesticides, HHPs.

We’ve also seen increase in consolidation, a large number of mergers and acquisitions, allowing these corporations to dominate the agribusiness sector. This allows these giants to have a profound influence on governance and the structure of our food system, resulting in anti-competitive market practices.

Our Health & the Environment

*Illustration 273587833 / Food Food © Altitudevs | Dreamstime.com*

These corporations have significant funding at their disposal to influence policies and regulations, such as pesticides, biosafety, patents, intellectual property, as well as trade and investment agreements.

Bayer AG spent over USD 9 million lobbying the US government in 2019, after it acquired Monsanto. At the time, they were reviewing the re-registration of one of the company’s main products, glyphosate (Roundup), which is considered a toxic herbicide. In the US, Bayer has been contesting billion of dollars in settlement claims to end lawsuits over accusations that glyphosate causes cancer.

They are also responsible for shaping science by sponsoring academic research favouring their corporate interests, influencing governance and policies. This was seen in the agrochemical and processed food sectors.

As proof of this, below is an internal email between Monsanto executives obtained by lawyers representing plaintiffs in the Roundup® litigation, where they suggest ‘beating the s**t out of’ a mother’s group expressing concern over the effects of GMOs and Roundup® on their children.

Monsanto also tried to influence science by sponsoring various ghostwriting academic articles questioning scientific studies that raised concern over its product’s safety, glyphosate.

Another very concerning issue related to the health of our children is the fact that this industry continuously lobbies against mandatory public health measures, including taxes on ultra-processed foods, UPF, sugary drinks and front of package labeling, as well as restrictions on marketing of unhealthy foods to our children. This has a gigantic impact on their health and also creates pressure on our health systems.

A reported example of this was when a children’s cereal manufacturer attempted to sue Mexico after the country tried to amend a food packaging regulation called NOM-5, in order to protect their children from the marketing of unhealthy foods. The regulation established that certain unhealthy products would be prohibited from putting children’s animations and characters on their packages.

The invention of novel foods also raises some red flags. On March, The Defender, a publication defending children’s health, published a piece on Bill Gates’ latest invention, an edible food coating called Apeel, which is an odourless, colourless and tasteless coating for vegetables and fruit, which potentially extends the life span of these products, keeping it fresher for up to two times longer.

Apeel has already received the green light from US regulators, but some questions still remain unanswered surrounding the safety of the product, as the company is relying mainly on existing scientific studies, as no new science has been required to evaluate and test the product.

We seem to be completely exposed and reliant on these corporations to carry out their own safety studies, without the scrutiny of independent regulators and scientific studies.

According to the 2011 UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, companies are expected to develop their own internal procedures to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for how they address their impacts on human and environmental rights in global supply chains.

It’s clear that the way we grow our food has a massive impact not only on our physical and mental health, but also on our environment, affecting fauna and flora, the health of our soil, water and air.

Recently, we have seen a sharp increase of fungal disease in crops, affecting 168 crops listed as important in human nutrition, according to FAO of the United Nations. Despite spraying fungicides, farmers are losing between 10-23% of their crops to fungal disease every year, including rice, corn, soybeans and potatoes.

According to a study published at Nature journal, this issue is mainly because of the adaptability of fungi to meet modern agricultural practices. Monocultures entail vast areas of genetically uniform crops, an ideal ground for fast-evolving organisms, such as fungi. Another problem is the increasingly widespread use of antifungal treatments, leading to fungicide resistance.

The use of pesticides and toxic chemicals are increasing exponentially across the world, causing havoc to our health, the soil, polluting water sources, the air, animals and plants.

Industrial agriculture, including cattle farming, soybean, palm oil, sugar cane, corn, wheat, GMOs, monoculture production, is responsible for the deforestation of rainforests, the Cerrado, and many other parts of the world, causing destruction and degradation.

In Brazil, 2.8% of landowners own over 56% of all arable land, and 50% of smallholder farms have access to only 2.5% of the land. Overall, the land is in the hands of a small number of industrial farms.

We must rethink the way we grow our food and we all have the right to access nutritious and healthy food and decide what we eat.

Digital Farming

*Photo 225876642 © Andrey Popov | Dreamstime.com*

The agribusiness sector spends vast amounts on research and development, making it extremely hard for smaller companies to compete with them, capitalising on patent protection and intellectual property rights.

Why? Because they can!

Patent protection and intellectual property is another issue that should be catching everyone’s attention.

Giant tech companies, such as Amazon and Microsoft, among others, entered the food sector focusing on power, control and profit. Small farmers and local food systems are struggling, as they can’t afford to use this high tech data gathering technology. They are also located in remote areas where these types of services can’t reach.

We can see an increasing movement of powerful integration and control between the companies that are supplying products to farmers, such as tractors, drones, pesticides, etc., and the tech giants. They feed and control farmers with information, and at the same time have direct access to consumers.

The aim is to integrate millions of farmers into a wide centrally controlled network by encouraging and forcing them to buy their products. This digital infrastructure is run by platforms developed by tech companies that run cloud services.

Fujitsu farm workers, located just outside Hanoi, carry smartphones supplied by the company, which monitors their every single movements, productivity, the amount of hours they work, etc., all stored on the company’s cloud. This is extremely worrying, as this practice could easily lead to labour exploitation.

Similar to Fujitsu, other companies investing heavily on this type of digital farming platforms include Microsoft’s Azure FarmBeats, Bayer’s Fieldview, BASF’s Xarvio, Syngenta’s CropWise, Yara’s Yaralrix and Olam’s OFIS, Olam Farmer Information System.

It’s essential to point out the extent of data gathering these platforms are capable of, including real time data and analysis on the farmers soil condition and water, crops growth, pests and diseases monitoring, weather, humidity, climate change, tractor monitoring, etc.

Some of these corporations are also trying to eliminate the “middlemen” by selling directly to consumers, which may be attractive proposition to many, if the idea is mainly to help farmers and small vendors directly, but somehow they may use digital platforms to increase their pricing power over farmers.

An important question we must ask these companies, regulators and our governments: who controls all this data, what do they do with it and who gives the advice?

The influence a few powerful corporations have in food governance must be scrutinised. Governments should be leading in the field of food security and not leaving it in the hands of those that put profit over longevity of life. It may seem a drastic change to the world as we know it, but it may be the only way to bring back a balance in the global food system and secure our quality of life and ultimately our survival.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: