| A few days ago I had one of those "random" | | | | The ongoing side effects from the continued use of |
| conversations that sets the brain blazing down a | | | | such chemicals in Colombian and Ecuadorian floral |
| hundred different paths almost immediately. The topic | | | | workers - headaches, nausea, impaired vision, asthma, |
| was DDT, and how that chemical was bought and | | | | stillbirths, congenital malformations, miscarriages - are |
| sold with impunity in Latin America years after it had | | | | graphic and constant reminders of the blatant |
| been banned in the United States for causing serious | | | | sociopolitical and economic double standards at play in |
| health and environmental problems. | | | | our current global dynamic. |
| In the beginning it was the wonder chemical of yore. | | | | Sneaky history. It's almost impressive the way it keeps |
| From getting rid of vermin, to use as an agricultural | | | | recycling itself. Well, at least we can't call it |
| pesticide, to eliminating malaria, the new potion | | | | unsustainable. |
| apparently knew no bounds. Soon however, nasty little | | | | Columbia is the second largest flower producer in the |
| pieces of evidence - cancer, birth defects, and | | | | world. Two-thirds of all fresh cut flowers sold in the |
| environmental hazards - started to spring up against | | | | United States come from Columbia. Dole, the leading |
| the wonder chemical. Consequently, during the 1970s | | | | producer of fresh fruit and vegetables, is also one of |
| and 1980s, agricultural use of DDT was banned in the | | | | the largest flower producers in Latin America. |
| US and most developed countries. | | | | Dole's official CSR report reads like a dream. That is, |
| However, it would seem this urgent health and | | | | until you consider the fact that Columbian and |
| environmental update somehow bypassed Latin | | | | Ecuadorian floral workers, many of them women, are |
| America and some other parts of the world. In | | | | exposed daily, to some of the most toxic chemicals |
| countries like Ecuador and Colombia, DDT and similar | | | | available. Or unavailable - about a fifth of these |
| derivatives remain in active use especially for | | | | chemicals used in the greenhouses are either banned, |
| agricultural purposes. All this despite the 2001 | | | | or not registered for use in the US or Canada for |
| Stockholm Convention calling for the elimination of such | | | | various health reasons. Dole has agreed to participate |
| "persistent organic pollutants" in agribusiness. | | | | in an environmental standards program, but the |
| DDT and other such persistent pollutants are just that - | | | | question is whether the affected governments have |
| persistent. In human and other animal life, they cluster in | | | | any real monitoring systems in place. |
| fatty areas and proceed, nonstop, to erode the | | | | The promotion of agribusiness should not come at the |
| system from within. And this is just the proverbial tip. | | | | cost of human health, environment, or wildlife survival. |
| Marketing and selling chemicals in developing countries, | | | | This should be the business bottom line. However, |
| where public awareness of negative effects may be | | | | looking at the plight of flower workers in Columbia and |
| lower, is irresponsible, to say the least. And obviously | | | | Ecuador, this common sense goal starts to look more |
| certain businesses thrive by courting governments that | | | | like a foolish dream. |
| are either more susceptible to manipulation or prone to | | | | Is a rose just a rose anymore? I would argue with the |
| allowing the unchecked commercialization of such | | | | bard. It would seem that its thorns are more the norm |
| hazardous products. | | | | in certain parts of our world. |