The open letter was signed by 154 organizations from 35 different countries and by more than 2.600 individuals. It was handed over with all signatures to Bayer´s management on their Annual Shareholder Meeting at the 27th of April 2007.
Open letter to the Bayer AG
Stop the sale of high-poisonous pesticides immediately!
Dear Mr. Wenning, chairman of the board,
we, the signatories to this letter call upon the Bayer AG to phase out immediately all pesticide products in all countries of the world, which were classified from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as extremly hazardous (1a) and highly hazardous (1b).
Despite your announcement in the business report of 1995 to stop the sale of all pesticides of the hazard category 1a and 1b until 2000, the Bayer AG still continues selling such pesticides in developing countries.
Activists have requested since the year 2000 to terminate those sales. Regardless of this criticism and your promise, Bayer is still selling pesticides with the following active substances: Ethoprop (1a), Methyl Parathion (1b), Methamidophos (1b), Triazophos (1b) Thiodicarb (1a), Oxydemeton-Methyl (1b), Fenamiphos (1b) and Azinphos-Methyl (1b) (www.bayercropscience.com, 20th of march 2007).
This is in contradiction to Bayers own ambition expressed in the sustainability report 2005: “We aim to acquire a leading technological and economic position in our industrial sector as well as setting standards in environmental protection and social commitment.
The World Health Organisation estimates the number of persons who are poisoned annually at 3 to 25 million. 200 000 people commit suicide using pesticides and more than 40 000 people are killed accidentally by pesticides every year. The estimated number of unreported cases is much higher .
According to the Bayer AG your company has a world market share in pesticides of 20%. Cases of poisoning could be reduced significantly by the cessation of the sale of class 1 pesticides. The active ingredients are not only dangerous for the direct users. Residues of toxins in spices, tea, fruits, vegetables, meat and textiles harm also consumers.
We call on you:
Keep your promise and stop the sale of highly poisonous pesticides!
An initiative of: Eine Welt Netz NRW (One World Network of North Rhine-Westphalia)
Supported by: Coalition against Bayer dangers (CBG)
Pesticide Action Network Germany (PAN Germany)
The following organisations signed the letter to Bayer:
A
A SEED Europe/Netherlands
Abekra (Verband arbeits- und berufsbedingt Erkrankter e.V.)/Germany
ACCORD/India
ActionAid/India
Adivasi Aikya Vedika (Indigenous communities organisation Andhra Pradesh)/India
African Centre for Biosafety/South Africa
African Conservation Foundation/Tanzania
Afrikanischer Verein in Aachen e.V. /Germany
Aktionsgemeinschaft Eine Welt in Beckum/Germany
Aktionsgemeinschaft Minden/Germany
Aktion Selbstbesteuerung e.V. /Germany
ALGA, Rural Women‚s organisation/Kyrgyzstan
Alliance for a Clean Environment inc./Australia
Alliance of Women‘s Organizations/Philippines
Alter Vida/Paraguay
Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union – APVVU/India
ANTHRA (women veterinary scientists)/India
Appiko Movement/India
Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment/Armenia
Arnika Association – Toxics and Waste Programme/Czech Republic
ART at WORK/Germany
Ärztinnen und Ärzte für eine gesunde Umwelt (ISDE) Austria
Asociacion Argentina de Medicos por el Medio Ambiente, Argentina
Associazione Consumatori Utenti (ACU)/Italy
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development/Thailand
B
Behinderung und Entwicklungszusammenarbeit e.V./Germany
Berliner entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag (BER e.V.)/Germany
Bharat Krishak Samaj (Farmers‚ Forum India)/India
Botanischer Verein zu Hamburg e.V./Germany
BUKO Agrar Koordination/Germany
C
Calhoun county resource watch/USA
Centre for Sustainable Agriculture/India
COECOCEIBA-FoE/Costa Rica
Collective for Economic, Social and Environmental Justice/India
Community Environmental Monitoring/India
Convenor Forum For A Sustainable Environment/India
Coordination gegen Bayer-Gefahren/Germany
Corporate Accountability Desk/India
CROPS/India
D
DAKO Deutsch-Afrikanische Kooperation e.V./Germany
Decentralized cotton Yarn Trust/India
Deutsch Chilenischer Freundeskreis/Germany
Diözesanverband der Katholischen Arbeitnehmerbewegung Bistum Münster/Germany
DUGI e.V./Germany
E
Earthcare Books/India
Ecologistas en Acción/Spain
Eco-TIRAS International Environmental Association of River Keepers/Moldova
Edmonds Institute/USA
Eine Welt Forum Aachen e. V./Germany
Eine-Welt-Initiative der Ev. Kirchengemeinde Greven,Bezirk Christus-Kirche/Germany
Eine-Welt-Laden Hückelhoven e.V/Germany
Eine-Welt-Laden TeKaBana/Germany
Eine Welt Netz NRW/Germany
Ekogaia Foundation, Cape Town/South Africa
El grito de la tierra/Argentina
Erklärung von Bern – Berne Declaration/Switzerland
Environment Support Group/India
Evangelische Frauenhilfe in Westfalen e.V./Germany
F
Federação dos Trabalhadores na Agricultura Familiar da Região Sul do Brasil (Fetraf-Sul)/Brazil
FIAN Deutschland/Germany
FIAN Gruppe München/Germany
Forum For A Sustainable Environment/India
Forum for Biotechnology & Food Security/India
G
GENE CAMPAIGN/India
Global March against Child Labour/Germany
Glocal Research/India
Gramya Resource Centre for Women/India
Greenpeace Gruppe Aachen/Germany
Greenpeace India/India
GRÜNE LIGA e.V. – Netzwerk Ökologischer Bewegungen/Germany
H
Hafengruppe Hamburg/Germany
I
Indian Medical Association (IMA) Punjab Chapter/India
Informationszentrum Dritte Welt Dortmund e. V/Germany
International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside (ICPPC)/Poland
International Union of Food and Allied Workers/Switzerland
Institute for Zero Waste in Africa/South Africa
Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas (IRET)/Costa Rica
J
Jenaer Internationaler Studierendenkreis (JISK) der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena/Germany
K
Katholische Frauengemeinschaft Deutschlands, Diözesanverband Münster
Kheti Virasat Mission/India
Kolpingwerk Bezirksverband Wuppertal/Germany
Kolpingwerk DV Münster/Germany
Kooperation Brasilien e.V., Bundesweiter Zusammenschluß der Brasiliensolidaritätsgruppen/Germany
Koordination Suedliches Afrika (KOSA)/Germany
Kórima e.V., Verein zur Unterstützung der indigenen Völker in der Sierra Tarahumara/Germany
L
Light of Africa NRW e.V./Germany
Living Farms/India
La Bottega Solidale/Italy
M
Maharashtra Organic Farmers Association (Aahara)/India
Menopausal help line London/United Kingdom
Mexican Action Network on Free Trade/Mexiko
Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands)/Netherlands
Mythen-Post/Schweiz
N
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE‘S MOVEMENTS/India
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE/Uganda
National Toxics Network Inc/Australia
Naturschutzbund (NABU) NRW/Germany
Navya Seema Development Society/India
Naz Foundation/India
Nicaragua-Verein Düsseldorf e.V./Germany
O
Ökumenische Eine-Welt-Gruppe Cronenberg/Germany
OroVerde/Germany
P
Pax Christi – Gruppe Sendenhorst/Germany
PEACE/India
Pesticide Action Network Africa/Senegal
Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific/Malaysia
Pesticide Action Network Europe/Bulgaria
Pesticide Action Network Germany/Germany
Pesticide Action Network in Mexico (RAPAM)/Mexiko
Pesticide Action Network United Kingdom/United Kingdom
Pesticide Action Network Uruguay/Uruguay
Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center/China
Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center (PAN China)/China
Pesticide Watch Group of Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists/Nepal
Politischer Arbeitskreis Schulen e.V./Germany
Preet lari magazine/India
PRO WILDLIFE e.V./Germany
Programa Agroecologia/Paraguay
Pudhu Nilavu Organic Farm, Tamil Nadu Organic Agriculturists Movement/India
R
Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas de América Latina, Cono Sur (RAP-AL Cono Sur)/Columbia
Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas en México (RAPAM)/Mexiko
Red de Acción en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas de América Latina (Rap-al)/Uruguay
Red de Accion en Plaguicidas y sus Alternativas para America Latina (RAP-AL)Costa Rica /Costa Rica
Referat Weltkirche im Bischöflichen Generalvikariat Münster/Germany
Rettet den Regenwald/Germany
ROBIN WOOD e.V./Germany
Rural Reconstruction Nepal/Nepal
S
SANSAD/India
Sarvodaya Youth Organisation/India
School of Rural Development Tuljapur (TISS)/India
Societe pour l‚Etude, la Protection et l‘Amenagement de la Nature dans le Sud-Ouest (SEPANSO)/France
Solidarische Welt e.V., Träger des Weltladens Gießen/Germany
Solidaritätsfonds Demokratische Medien in der Welt e.V./Germany
Solidarnosc-Gewerkschaft/Poland
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA)/South Africa
Sunray Harvesters India/India
Suzuzi Amadi/Brazil
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, SSNC/Sweden
T
Tamil Nadu Organic Agriculturists Movement/India
Tamil Nadu Women‚s Collective/India
Thanal/India
U
União de Mulheres de São Paulo/Brazil
United Artists‘ Association (UAA)/India
V
Vamos e.V. Münster/Germany
Verband Entwicklungspolitik Niedersachsen e.V. (VEN)/Germany
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, organisation against farmers suicide/India
Viva Amazoni Austria/Austria
Vollkornbäckerei Cibaria, Münster/Germany
W
Walter Sisulu Environmental Center/South Africa
WECF – Women in Europe for a Common Future/Germany
Welthaus Bielefeld/Germany
Weltladen Gießen/Germany
Weltladen-Team St. Martinus Kerpen/Germany
Weltladen Unterwegs Mainz/Germany
WWF-India/India
Y
Yakshi/India