DR Congo Workers for Feronia made Impotent By Pesticides – HRW

DR Congo employees for Feronia made impotent by pesticides – HRW

25 November 2019

Workers exposed to pesticides at a UK-funded company in the Democratic Republic of Congo have experienced becoming impotent, a rights group has actually stated.

Feronia, which controls DR Congo’s palm-oil sector, had actually stopped working to give workers appropriate protective devices, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated.

The UK government’s development bank, CDC, owns 38% of Feronia in DR Congo.

It said Feronia had actually invested greatly in protective equipment and all workers were required to use it.

Feronia, a Canadian-based company, stated it was committed to operating to international standards.

The company added that it had actually spent $360,000 (₤ 280,000) on individual protective devices in the last three years, which workers had actually been trained to use, and it had implemented a policy needing the devices to be worn in the office.

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Feronia and its local subsidiary, Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), employ thousands of employees at palm oil plantations in DR Congo.

PHC has received millions of dollars from the advancement banks of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

“These banks can play an essential function promoting development, however they are undermining their objective by stopping working to ensure the business they finance appreciates the rights of its employees and communities on the plantations,” HRW scientist Luciana Téllez-Chávez said.

What is HRW’s evidence?

In a report entitled A Toxic Mix of Abuses on Congo’s Oil Palm Plantations, external, HRW said it had spoken with more than 40 workers and two-thirds of them “informed us that they had become impotent considering that they began the task”.

Impotence – in addition to shortness of breath, headaches, and weight-loss that the workers complained about – were health issue “consistent with exposure to pesticides in general, as explained in clinical literature”, HRW said.

“Many [likewise] struggled with skin irritation, itchiness, blisters, eye problems, or blurred vision – all signs that are constant with what scientific texts and the items’ labels refer to as health consequences of exposure to these pesticides,” the rights group included.

Ms Téllez-Chávez stated employees who had actually been interviewed had permeable cotton overalls – not the water resistant overalls.

“If pesticides mistakenly spilled, the harmful liquid would likely touch their skin,” she added.

What else does HRW say?

At the Yaligimba plantation, the company disposed the waste from its palm oil mill next to employees’ homes.

The effluents formed a “foul-smelling stream”, and ultimately flowed into a natural pond where ladies and children shower and wash cooking utensils.

“Residents of a village of numerous hundred individuals downstream told us the river was their only source of drinking water,” Ms Téllez-Chávez stated.

If untreated and untreated, effluent-dumping could eventually also cause fish to suffocate and pass away, or cause large growths of algae that could negatively affect the health of individuals who entered contact with polluted water or taken in tainted fish, HRW added.

The rights group also accused Feronia of paying “severe hardship” wages, stating ladies were the lowest-paid, with some earning just $7.30 a month event fruit.

HRW said the should make sure the companies they purchase pay living salaries to their employees.

What is the UK development bank’s reaction?

In a declaration, CDC stated: “Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is an organic mix of natural waste oils and fats and has actually been discharged into rivers considering that the plantation entered into being in 1911 and does not threaten human health.

“A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar financial investment – money that the company has selected rather to invest on real estate, tidy water provision, health care and academic facilities for employees, their families and other members of the local neighborhoods.

“It is the aim of the company to construct treatment plants for POME, but is unfortunately not in a financial position to do so currently as it continues to make heavy losses.

“In addition, the company has refurbished or dug 72 brand-new boreholes for the arrangement of clean water in the last 6 years.”

What does Feronia state?

The business said working conditions had enhanced considerably given that the participation of the European banks in 2013.

Employees were now paid considerably more than the minimum wage for agriculture in DR Congo and the typical employee made $3.30 per day – higher than what a regional teacher would make, it said.

It also validated that it had actually invested substantially in access to safe drinking water.

“Feronia operates on a social mandate with regional neighborhoods. Without their assistance we would not be able to work. We identify that there is still a lot to be done and are committed to operating to global standards. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve these objectives,” the business included a statement.

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