Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder for which there is no cure. It causes symptoms such as extreme stiffness in the extremities and uncontrollable shaking and shaking. It is now the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world and has been dubbed the “Parkinson’s pandemic” by experts.
In recent years, several studies in different parts of the world have shown that farmers — including gardeners and other farm workers — are at higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. In California, for example, people who live near farmland in the Central Valley have a 75 percent higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than people who live in other areas.
What is causing all this nerve damage? The alleged culprit was exposure to pesticides. There is a clear association between Parkinson’s disease and the use of pesticides, including herbicides or herbicides and fungicides. These chemical pest control agents are applied directly to crops or soil and to the environment—usually by spraying. Those who use the insecticides are often sprayed and handle them without protective equipment like masks or gloves.
Insecticides attack the nervous systems of insects to kill them. Although the human nervous system is much more complex than that of insects, they share the same building blocks, so humans are also susceptible to neurological damage from pesticides. Some insecticides, such as Paraquad and Mancosepp, have been banned in the EU.
Unfortunately, there are nearly 4,000 other types of agrochemicals that scientists only find out in hindsight if they negatively impact farmers/people. Organic farming advocates say not using pesticides is the only way to be safe. Some farmers have not used a single chemical product on their farms in over 30 years. Many of them believe that pesticides are harmful to humans and nature and that there are alternatives.
However, traditional farmers disagree. Using pesticides is a quick and cheap way to grow crops, ensuring lower prices. Removing pesticides would drive up food prices, and local farming communities would die if cheaper produce was imported. So they continued to use pesticides despite the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
For these farmers and growers, insecticides are essential as they maintain or increase farm yields and thus keep farms running. Modern farming methods are said to be more environmentally friendly than farms of 25 to 30 years ago. Now spray less insecticide per hectare using precise high-tech nozzles with GPS so they don’t spray the same land twice. The injector can also stop automatically and even be calibrated for the correct dose. This is a challenging situation.
In France, they have recognized Parkinson’s disease as an occupational disease and paid an additional monthly stipend to many of the former vineyard workers who are currently ill. Hopefully the rest of Europe and the world will follow suit.
Directed by: Luc Hermann, Claire Lasko
