I Politiken i dag kritiserer journalist Claus Blok Thomsen at jeg ringede til FAO i Rom for at eftertjekke to af hans historier.
Den ene hed: ”FN kritiserer dansk plantefirma” den anden hed “FN undrer sig over styrelses afgørelse”.
Der var imidlertid god grund til at tjekke de to historier efter, for de var begge rent falsum.
Jeg blev straks mistænksom, fordi jeg ved at FN (FAO) aldrig ville udtale sig om et dansk firma eller kritisere den danske Energistyrelse.
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FAO havde overhovedet ikke set eller læst Energistyrelsens rapport. Alligevel skriver Blok Thomsen at FN siger, at Energistyrelsens rapport om UP ignorerer internationale anbefalinger om at undgå farlige pesticider.
Det er usandt, men Blok Thomsen havde brug for at mistænkeliggøre Energistyrelsen, fordi den i sin omfattende raport om UP frikendte selskabet for alle de påstande Politiken havde rettet imod selskabet.
Kort efter at jeg havde talt med FAO dementerede FN organisationen Politikens to artikler.
Det skete i dette brev:
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Dear editor,
Politiken has published an article on 29 October 2010 about the pesticide use by the Danish-owned plantation company United Plantations in Malaysia. The article includes several quotes attributed to me which are incorrect.
When interviewed by the author of the article, Claus Blok Thomsen, I was very specific in stating that I was not familiar with practices on the United Plantations sites in Malaysia nor had I read the Danish Energy Agency report that has been quoted. I was therefore in no position to express astonishment, criticism or any other opinion about the report or the specific reference to pesticide use in Malaysia.
Instead I briefed the author in general about the position of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization on the risks from pesticide to health and the environment within the context of intensifying agricultural production. The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides, endorsed by all FAO member countries, including Denmark and Malaysia, as well as the private sector and NGOs advises against the use of highly hazardous pesticides such as those classified by WHO as extremely hazardous (Class Ia) or highly hazardous (class Ib), especially in situations where users may not be able to protect themselves adequately from exposure to these chemicals.
Experience shows that in tropical countries and among poor farmers, suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) like protective eyewear, coveralls, chemical resistant gloves and shoes, is rarely available. The cost of appropriate PPE is prohibitively high, and the use of PPE is uncomfortable and rarely practiced in compliance with its manufacturers’ recommendations. As a result, pesticide applicators are frequently exposed to pesticides. In the face of this reality, FAO recommends the use of appropriate ecologically based integrated pest management technologies with judicious use of relatively less hazardous chemical pesticides, when needed.
Mark Davis
Senior Officer – Pesticides Management
Plant Production and Protection Division (AGP)
Viale Delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome
Italy
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Politiken bragte aldrig FAOs dementi, men denne lille klumme gemt godt af vejen.
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