dr-congo-workers-for-feronia-made-impotent-by-pesticides---hrw

DR Congo employees for Feronia made impotent by pesticides - HRW

25 November 2019
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Workers exposed to pesticides at a UK-funded company in the Democratic Republic of Congo have complained of becoming impotent, a rights group has said.
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Feronia, which dominates DR Congo's palm-oil sector, had actually failed to give workers sufficient protective equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated.

The UK federal government's advancement bank, CDC, owns 38% of Feronia in DR Congo.

It stated Feronia had invested greatly in protective devices and all employees were needed to wear it.

Feronia, a Canadian-based firm, stated it was dedicated to running to international requirements.

The firm included that it had actually invested $360,000 (₤ 280,000) on individual protective equipment in the last three years, which workers had actually been trained to utilize, and it had carried out a policy requiring the devices to be used in the office.

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

PHC has actually gotten countless dollars from the advancement banks of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

"These banks can play a crucial role promoting advancement, however they are undermining their objective by stopping working to ensure the company they finance appreciates the rights of its workers and neighborhoods on the plantations," HRW scientist Luciana Téllez-Chávez stated.

What is HRW's proof?
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In a report entitled A Hazardous Mix of Abuses on Congo's Oil Palm Plantations, external, HRW stated it had actually talked to more than 40 employees and two-thirds of them "told us that they had become impotent considering that they began the job".

Impotence - together with shortness of breath, headaches, and weight reduction that the employees grumbled about - were health issue "constant with exposure to pesticides in basic, as described in clinical literature", HRW stated.

"Many [also] experienced skin irritation, itchiness, blisters, eye issues, or blurred vision - all signs that are constant 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 workers who had been spoken with had permeable cotton overalls - not the waterproof overalls.

"If pesticides unintentionally spilled, the hazardous liquid would likely touch their skin," she included.

What else does HRW say?
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At the Yaligimba plantation, the company dumped the waste from its palm oil mill beside employees' homes.
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The effluents formed a "foul-smelling stream", and ultimately flowed into a natural pond where women and kids shower and clean cooking utensils.

"Residents of a town of a number of hundred individuals downstream informed us the river was their only source of drinking water," Ms Téllez-Chávez stated.

If uncontrolled and unattended, effluent-dumping could ultimately also cause fish to suffocate and pass away, or trigger large developments of algae that might adversely impact the health of people who came into contact with polluted water or consumed tainted fish, HRW added.
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The rights group also accused Feronia of paying "severe hardship" earnings, saying females were the lowest-paid, with some earning just $7.30 a month event fruit.

HRW stated the advancement banks must ensure business they purchase pay living salaries to their employees.

What is the UK advancement bank's reaction?

In a statement, CDC said: "Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is an organic mix of natural waste oils and fats and has actually been released into rivers since the plantation entered remaining in 1911 and does not threaten human health.

"A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar investment - money that the business has actually selected instead to spend on housing, tidy water provision, healthcare and academic facilities for staff members, their families and other members of the local neighborhoods.

"It is the goal of the business to develop treatment plants for POME, however is regrettably not in a financial position to do so presently as it continues to make heavy losses.

"In addition, the company has actually reconditioned or dug 72 brand-new boreholes for the provision of tidy water in the last 6 years."

What does Feronia say?

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

Employees were now paid substantially more than the minimum wage for agriculture in DR Congo and the average employee earned $3.30 per day - greater than what a regional instructor would make, it said.

It also validated that it had invested substantially in access to safe drinking water.
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"Feronia runs on a social mandate with local communities. Without their support we would not be able to operate. We recognise that there is still an excellent deal to be done and are committed to operating to international standards. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve these objectives," the business added in a declaration.

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