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

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DR Congo employees for Feronia made impotent by pesticides - HRW
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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 controls DR Congo's palm-oil sector, had failed to provide employees adequate protective equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated.

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

It said Feronia had actually invested greatly in protective equipment and all workers were needed to use it.

Feronia, a Canadian-based company, stated it was committed to operating to international standards.

The company included that it had invested $360,000 (₤ 280,000) on individual protective equipment in the last three years, which employees had actually been trained to utilize, and it had executed a policy requiring the equipment to be used in the workplace.

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

PHC has actually gotten countless dollars from the development banks of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
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"These banks can play an important role promoting development, but they are undermining their objective by stopping working to make sure the company they fund appreciates the rights of its employees and communities on the plantations," HRW researcher Luciana Téllez-Chávez said.

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 given that they began the job".

Impotence - in addition to shortness of breath, headaches, and weight reduction that the employees grumbled about - were health issue "consistent with direct exposure to pesticides in general, as explained in clinical literature", HRW stated.

"Many [likewise] suffered from skin irritation, irritation, blisters, eye issues, or blurred vision - all signs that are constant with what scientific texts and the products' labels refer to as health effects of exposure to these pesticides," the rights group included.

Ms Téllez-Chávez said employees who had actually been interviewed had permeable cotton overalls - not the waterproof overalls.

"If pesticides accidentally spilled, the hazardous liquid would likely touch their skin," she added.

What else does HRW say?

At the Yaligimba plantation, the business discarded the waste from its palm oil mill next to workers' homes.

The effluents formed a "foul-smelling stream", and eventually streamed into a natural pond where ladies and children shower and wash cooking utensils.

"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 untreated and neglected, effluent-dumping could ultimately also cause fish to suffocate and pass away, or cause large growths of algae that could adversely impact the health of people who entered into contact with polluted water or consumed tainted fish, HRW included.

The rights group also implicated Feronia of paying "extreme hardship" salaries, stating ladies were the lowest-paid, with some earning just $7.30 a month gathering fruit.

HRW said the development banks should guarantee the organizations they invest in pay living salaries to their employees.

What is the UK development bank's action?

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

"A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar financial investment - money that the business has picked instead to invest in real estate, tidy water provision, healthcare and for staff members, their families and other members of the regional neighborhoods.

"It is the goal of the business to construct treatment plants for POME, but is sadly not in a monetary position to do so currently as it continues to make heavy losses.

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

What does Feronia say?

The company said working conditions had improved considerably because the involvement of the European banks in 2013.

Employees were now paid substantially more than the base pay for agriculture in DR Congo and the typical employee made $3.30 each day - greater than what a regional teacher would make, it said.
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It likewise confirmed that it had actually invested significantly in access to safe drinking water.

"Feronia runs on a social required with regional neighborhoods. Without their assistance we would not be able to work. We identify that there is still a lot to be done and are committed to operating to worldwide requirements. We will continue to work tirelessly to accomplish these objectives," the business included a statement.

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