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 firm in the Democratic Republic of Congo have experienced ending up being impotent, a rights group has stated.

Feronia, which dominates DR Congo's palm-oil sector, had actually failed to provide workers sufficient protective equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated.

The UK government's advancement bank, CDC, owns 38% of Feronia in DR Congo.
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It stated Feronia had actually invested heavily in protective devices and all workers were needed to use it.
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Feronia, a Canadian-based company, stated it was dedicated to operating to worldwide standards.

The firm added that it had invested $360,000 (₤ 280,000) on personal protective devices in the last 3 years, which workers had been trained to utilize, and it had actually implemented a policy needing the equipment to be worn in the work environment.

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Feronia and its regional subsidiary, Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), utilize thousands of workers at palm oil plantations in DR Congo.

PHC has gotten countless dollars from the advancement banks of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
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"These banks can play a crucial function promoting development, however they are sabotaging their objective by stopping working to ensure the company they fund appreciates the rights of its workers and communities on the plantations," HRW researcher Luciana Téllez-Chávez stated.

What is HRW's evidence?

In a report entitled A Harmful Mix of Abuses on Congo's Oil Palm Plantations, external, HRW stated it had actually spoken with more than 40 employees and two-thirds of them "informed us that they had ended up being impotent considering that they began the job".
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Impotence - together with shortness of breath, headaches, and weight-loss that the employees complained about - were health problems "constant with direct exposure to pesticides in general, as described in clinical literature", HRW said.

"Many [also] suffered from skin inflammation, itchiness, blisters, eye issues, or blurred vision - all signs that are consistent with what scientific texts and the items' labels refer to as health repercussions of direct exposure to these pesticides," the rights group added.
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Ms Téllez-Chávez said employees who had been talked to had permeable cotton overalls - not the water resistant overalls.
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"If pesticides inadvertently spilled, the toxic liquid would likely touch their skin," she included.

What else does HRW say?

At the Yaligimba plantation, the company discarded the waste from its palm oil mill beside workers' homes.

The effluents formed a "foul-smelling stream", and ultimately flowed into a natural pond where women and kids bathe and wash cooking utensils.
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"Residents of a village of several hundred people downstream told us the river was their only source of drinking water," Ms Téllez-Chávez said.

If uncontrolled and without treatment, effluent-dumping might ultimately likewise cause fish to suffocate and die, or cause large growths of algae that might negatively impact the health of individuals who came into contact with contaminated water or taken in tainted fish, HRW added.

The rights group likewise accused Feronia of paying "extreme poverty" wages, saying females were the lowest-paid, with some earning as little as $7.30 a month gathering fruit.

HRW stated the development banks should ensure the services they buy pay living incomes to their workers.
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What is the UK development bank's response?

In a declaration, CDC said: "Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is an organic mix of natural waste oils and fats and has actually been discharged into rivers since the plantation entered remaining in 1911 and does not threaten human health.
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"A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar financial investment - cash that the company has actually picked rather to spend on housing, arrangement, health care and academic facilities for workers, their families and other members of the local neighborhoods.

"It is the goal of the company to build treatment plants for POME, but is unfortunately not in a monetary position to do so presently as it continues to make heavy losses.

"In addition, the business has reconditioned or dug 72 brand-new boreholes for the arrangement of tidy water in the last six years."

What does Feronia state?

The company said working conditions had actually improved significantly considering that the involvement of the European banks in 2013.

Employees were now paid considerably more than the base pay for farming in DR Congo and the typical worker made $3.30 daily - greater than what a local teacher would earn, it said.

It also verified that it had actually invested considerably in access to safe drinking water.

"Feronia runs on a social required with local communities. Without their support we would not be able to operate. We recognise that there is still a great deal to be done and are committed to running to worldwide standards. We will continue to work tirelessly to accomplish these goals," the business included a declaration.
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