West African chemical meeting

An International Union of Food Workers (IUF), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Centre Technique de Coopération Agricole et Rurale (CTA) Sub-regional seminar on: Health, safety and environment: a tool for achieving sustainable agriculture, food security and food safety was held in Mali in December 2000. More than 50 French-speaking West African women and men trade unionists from 10 different countries participated in the meeting – the first of its kind. Unions organising workers in different parts of the food chain – agricultural production, food processing, and hotels, restaurants/tourism – were equally well represented. There was a good balance between female and male participants. 
    Participants discussed the need for more action on pesticides, including the importance of the role of trade unions and NGOs in encouraging ratification and implication of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure and the impact on African countries of the European Union’s new Maximum Residue Limits for pesticides in foodstuffs and food safety, including BSE. 
    Input on pesticide health and safety issues was provided by IUF, by PAN Africa and the FAO pesticide management project for the Sahel.

Peter Hurst, IUF, peter.hurst@iuf.org

[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No.51, March 2001, p17]