Farmers throughout Europe endure sweltering conditions in their fields amid the second heatwave of the season, laboring to sustain crops amid scarce water supplies.

At the same time in Brussels, representatives claiming to champion these farmers' causes (Copa-Cogeca) collaborate openly with pesticide sector advocates (Croplife EU).

On Wednesday (15 July) the groups co-host an event aimed at MEPs within the climate-controlled Copa-Cogeca premises, complete with refreshments and informal discussions afterward.

The objective centers on urging MEPs to overhaul existing EU standards governing pesticide approval and application, standards intended to bar excessively hazardous substances from circulation.

Farmers working the land face direct contact with these chemicals, as do their relatives and nearby residents. Applicators encounter exposure through breathing and skin contact, allowing substances to enter the bloodstream and reach the brain rapidly.

Parkinson's disease

Germany, France and Italy, for example, have recognized Parkinson's as an occupational condition among farmers handling pesticides. Dutch specialist Jorrit Hoff notes that researchers agree pesticide exposure elevates the risk of developing Parkinson's.

Standard farms relying on pesticides showed an average of 80 distinct compounds in household dust gathered under the EU-funded SPRINT initiative. This figure exceeded levels found in organic farm samples, both in variety and concentration.

Even substances already prohibited can persist in the surroundings for extended periods, while conditions such as Parkinson's or cancer may surface only after considerable time.

Shortfalls and loopholes

Existing risk evaluation procedures contain gaps. Neurotoxicity receives insufficient scrutiny during EU authorization reviews, and at least 10 recognized hazardous materials remain available despite their substitution status and broad health concerns.

Rather than addressing these issues to safeguard farmers, Copa-Cogeca teams with the pesticide sector to urge EU bodies to weaken the very protections in place.

A measure already awaits consideration. The EU Commission's Food and Feed Omnibus proposal would eliminate renewal evaluations for pesticides. Such reviews prove essential for incorporating fresh evidence on adverse effects.

European People's Party MEP Herbert Dorfmann, serving as rapporteur for the Omnibus in Parliament, previously represented the South Tyrolean Farmers' Federation for a decade. His record shows no push to strengthen farmer protections; instead, adjustments moved in the opposite direction.

Alongside Italian far-right Fratelli MEP Michele Picaro, Dorfmann introduced modifications that further weakened the proposal. The Commission itself acknowledged that these changes would reduce health safeguards. MEPs face a deadline this week to submit further revisions.

Leaked materials from 2021 revealed how Copa-Cogeca aligned efforts against Farm to Fork objectives alongside pesticide representatives. Both entities commissioned studies from Wageningen University, later retracted by the institution, and managed their release discreetly to amplify influence.

Now Copa-Cogeca acts without concealment, staging a joint event with Croplife EU, which represents manufacturers including Bayer and Syngenta. This sector maintains a history of safeguarding operational permissions even amid documented risks to health and vital ecological roles such as pollination by bees and other insects.

Self-sabotaging farmers' interests

The pesticide sector also disregards farmers in additional respects. Recent protests highlighted demands for equitable earnings. These goals conflict directly with industry priorities, as Croplife EU advocated for the EU-Mercosur trade pact concluded last December despite widespread farmer opposition.

Furthermore, when the EU moves to curb unfair competition by restricting imports treated with EU-banned pesticides, Croplife and its members work to obstruct such measures.

Observers must recognize these lobbying efforts for their true nature. Croplife EU leverages its ties to Copa-Cogeca to justify campaigns preserving hazardous products. Farmers, their families and neighbors encounter the initial repercussions.

Whose priorities does Copa-Cogeca ultimately serve? Instead of partnering with the pesticide sector, why does the group not at minimum call publicly for Parkinson's recognition as an occupational illness across all EU nations along with robust support provisions?

Or more effectively, why does its leadership not promote robust EU pesticide standards that genuinely lessen health risks for farmers? Responses to these questions remain awaited.