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Editorial

Cotton
Uzbekistan - the sick man of central Asia? 3
Uzbekistan is the second largest exporter of cotton in the world, selling over 800,000 tonnes of cotton every year. It is also one of the countries most severely affected by the hazardous pesticides used on cotton. Juliette Williams of the Environmental Justice Foundation describes the situation and argues that it is unlikely to change until western cotton consumers demand change.

Europe

Making you voice heard in the new EU pesticide policy 5
The Thematic Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides will determine pesticide policies in the EU for over a decade. It provides a unique opportunity to raise the standards of human health and environmental protection. Sofia Parente of PAN Europe describes the decision-making processes in the EU and outlines current proposals for the Thematic Strategy. Now is the time for EU citizens to express their concerns to their elected MEPs.

French court recognises pesticides as cause of Parkinson's 11

Developing countries
Monitoring pesticide impacts in Ethiopia 8
In countries with limited resources collaboration and sharing of expertise is vital. In September 2006 Ethiopian NGOs, researchers and regulators were trained in ecotoxicology monitoring. The professional relationships forged between participants have already borne fruit and will be vital to improve future pesticide management. Tadesse Amera reports.

Alternatives
Weaver ants help farmers capture organic markets 9
Weaver ants are predatory insects which kill key pests of many tree crops effectively decreasing the need to use pesticides. Paul Van Mele and Jean-François Vayssières describe how these fascinating insects have been husbanded effectively in Asia to manage pests of citrus and cashew. Their use has recently been extended into Africa in organic cashew, mango and cocoa production. The authors indicate how the expansion of weaver ant husbandry can be encouraged.

Chemical hazards
'Inert' ingredients threaten human and environmental health 12
In 1988 a team of Japanese physicians studying suicide patients found that the lethality of the herbicide Roundup was attributable to its so-called inert ingredients. The study sparked a decades-long effort by environmental groups and public agencies to make more information about these ingredients available to the public. Caroline Cox and Michael Surgan discuss the regulation of inert ingredients in the United States. They highlight studies showing that inert ingredients can significantly affect the human and environmental heath impacts of pesticides, and discuss past and current efforts to require identification of inert ingredients on pesticide labels.

Latin america
Empowering pesticide-affected communities in Uruguay 15
Local branches of PAN, Friends of the Earth and the International Agricultural Workers’ Union joined forces with concerned medics and affected communities to better document and understand the impacts of intensive pesticide application on people’s health around the city of Bella Union. María Isabel Cárcamo reports on an innovative project to integrate research with community analysis and action.

Legal victories in Latin America 17

Crop factsheet
Potato - conventional, IPM and orgainc systems in Europe 18
Many pesticides used on potatoes are associated with health and environmental hazards and their residues are often detected on shop bought samples. Developments in integrated pest management and organic systems can successfully reduce or eliminate their use. New regulatory and financial instruments are needed to encourage the growth of these production systems.

News and resources
New report exposes the impacts of cotton pesticides 4
The irresistible rise of organic cotton 23
Plant protection market growing in Eastern Europe 23
Illegal traders in Germany 23
UK withdraws aldicarb and isoproturon 23