RAPAM Co-Hosts National Forum on Agroecological Alternatives to Endosulfan in Mexico

Pesticide Action Network in Mexico (RAPAM), an IPEN member, organized a National Forum on Agroecological Alternatives to   Endosulfan with environment and agriculture government authorities, agricultural Universities and academics from November-20-21 in the University of Puebla (BUAP).

The representative from the health secretariat (COFEPRIS) that participated in the event informed attendees that, since January 2014, endosulfan imports in Mexico have not been authorized, and 13 out of 35 registrants of endosulfan have withdrawn their products. It is expected that the rest will be withdrawn soon to meet the commitments in the Stockholm Convention.

Fernando Bejarano, RAPAM’s director, encouraged health and environment authorities to widely inform producers and consumers about the factual ban of endosulfan in Mexico to prevent illegal trade.

During the forum, agroecological experiences of pest control and crop management were presented as they relate to maize, coffee and vegetables, the main crops for which endosulfan was used in the past.  RAPAM recommended that the agroecological approach should be promoted strongly to go beyond pesticide chemical substitution and to incorporate a strategy for the progressive elimination of highly hazardous pesticides in the context of SAICM.