Geneva, Switzerland—Today, civil society and Indigenous Peoples’ organizations sent a formal request to meet with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General Qu Dongyu to discuss widespread public concern with FAO’s announcement last November of plans to formalize a partnership with CropLife International (CLI) — the global trade association of the world’s biggest agrochemical corporations, which produce and promote Highly Hazardous Pesticides. Two previous requests to meet with the Director-General, sent by PAN International in December, have received no reply from the FAO.
The 11 civil society and Indigenous peoples organizations that sent today’s joint letter and meeting request co-sponsored the letter to FAO Director-General Qu sent in November 2020, in which over 350 civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations expressed their deep concerns with the FAO’s plans to strengthen its official ties with CLI, a move the groups said would undermine the FAO’s mandate as a UN institution and the principles set out in its Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management. Subsequently, 250 scientists and academics wrote to the Director-General expressing similar concerns. The Director-General’s response dated 27 November 2020 did not satisfactorily address these concerns.
The Center for International Environmental Law is a co-sponsor of the letter. David Azoulay, Director of Environmental Health provided the following statement:
“On paper, the FAO says that one of its goals is to “facilitate the participation of relevant stakeholders in decision-making.” But after the FAO’s recent decision to formalize a partnership with CropLife, representative of the world’s largest highly hazardous pesticide manufacturers, while refusing to meet with civil society organizations, farmers, Indigenous Peoples, environmental groups, and scientists sends the worst possible signal on who FAO considers to be a “relevant stakeholder.”
“The FAO is designed to safely support feeding the world, but instead, this partnership demonstrates that they are willing to prioritize the manufacturer of poisons.
“We urge FAO’s Director-General Qu Dongyu to reconsider its priorities, agree to meet with civil society, farmers, indigenous and scientists’ representatives, and develop an integrated conflict of interest policy. The food and agriculture needs of both present and future generations depend on it.”
A copy of the letter can be found here.