If you ban the pesticides, you've solved the problem

Unfortunately, it's not that simple...

Banning pesticides would help, but there will still be problems:

1. Pesticides stay around: many of these dangerous chemicals are in the ground, in the water and in our bodies - and they can stay around for a very long time. (See Our Stolen Future)

2. Illegal copies: when pesticides are banned and the big corporations stop producing them, small local companies often start to make "look-alike" copies of the well-known brands. These are sold to poor farmers in countries where there are few regulations, or where the rules are not strictly kept.

It is thought that as much as 33% of the pesticides on sale in developing countries do not meet international standards.

3. Safely disposing of pesticides: what do you do with the pesticides that have been banned?
Developing countries cannot afford to pay the cost of safely disposing of all these dangerous chemicals.
For example:

• In the former Soviet Union, there are 150,000 tons of pesticides that need to be destroyed
• It will cost about $80 million to dispose of all the banned pesticides in Africa

The agrochemical industry has said that it will pay 30% of the cost of disposing of the banned pesticides.
Some countries - the USA, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden - have given money to do this.
However, other countries - the UK, France and Japan - have given nothing, even though they gave or sold dangerous pesticides to the developing countries.

STANDARDS - levels of quality or safety

REGULATIONS - rules or laws

DISPOSE - get rid of