A 30-year-old man can no longer walk unassisted. He needs 24/7 care. His memory has become shaky and he's not able to speak coherently. His mother suffers from constant coughing and inflammation. A woman in a nearby village developed a limp when she walks, with rashes covering her skin. Her hand suddenly went numb one day and so she was laid off. Yet another man now suffers from severe headaches that incapacitate him for hours on end, preventing him from walking. He has a tremor so powerful, he often can't hold cups or utensils.
What do they have in common? They all worked on farms in Kenya, where
toxic pesticides from five corporations - Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, BASF, and Twiga Chemical Industries - were sprayed all over the flowers, fruits, and vegetables they picked every day.
Sign the petition to demand that the Kenyan government ban these pesticides that are hurting everyday people! No one should lose their health because of their job!A new court petition case is bringing this issue to the public's attention. Nearly 100 people have already gathered together - with likely many more joining in the future - to challenge these corporations' sale of such dangerous products. These pesticides are known as
"HHPs" - highly hazardous pesticides. They include chemicals that the EU has banned, and chemicals that UN organizations, including the WHO, have linked to chronic health conditions and environmental degradation. This, in turn, also hurts wildlife.
Two examples of HHPs are
paraquat and
glyphosate, which are associated with Parkinson's disease and cancer, respectively.
Despite these known risks, these and other HHPs are still extremely common in Kenya, often exported by European-owned companies.
Scientists have tested the petitioners' urine to check for the presence of HHPs in their bodies. One man's urine contained 200 times more paraquat than is considered a permissible limit, and 48 times more glyphosate.
Not only are these chemicals poisoning hardworking, everyday people - but it's also hurting them economically. Once they've developed chronic illnesses, it's harder to work, leaving them in an extremely vulnerable situation.
Governments exist to protect their people. Since corporations and their toxic chemicals are poisoning people in Kenya, the government must take action. Sign the petition to demand that the government of Kenya put its people first and push back against these corporations! It must ban highly hazardous pesticides, including glyphosate and paraquat, now!