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The Ivory Coast, whose economy is dominated by agriculture, has built its success on growing cocoa. The problem is that the use of pesticides, often of fraudulent origin, has skyrocketed in the last ten years. These substances pose a threat both to the health of workers and consumers and to the environment.
In the markets of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, farmers can buy cheap pesticides, many made in China, India or Europe, some of which are approved by the government in Africa, but almost all have very difficult to understand instructions on composition and use. But farmers still buy them in large quantities because they want to increase their yields so they can feed their families well.
On the mainland, however, it is often impossible to comply with European standards for protection against pesticides. There are no poison control centers or public health authorities to treat or prevent poisoning, and there is a lack of information and training for farmers on how to use these products. Its effects on health are beyond any control.
Agriculture accounts for 22% of Ivory Coast’s GDP. In Abidjan, the business district was built thanks to the intensive cultivation of cocoa, which represents 40% of export earnings. However, today, the authorities hardly take contamination into account.
Handling these pesticides can lead to serious accidents, which are already common headlines. In the town of Mignoré, nine people died – seven of them from the same family – apparently from poisoning with organophosphate pesticides. Organophosphates are insecticides similar to sarin gas, a combat gas, and can block long-term neural transmission of information, are deadly in high doses, and are abundant in Côte d’Ivoire.
In Africa there are few epidemiological studies on pesticide-related contamination. In the absence of resources, research focuses on malaria, HIV or tuberculosis, and several professionals believe that this public health problem is underestimated.
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