Argentina

On January 19, 2009, the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, issues the decree 21/2009 , through which the National Commission of Inquiry, which will operate in orbit and based in the Ministry of Health, and has the following objectives: 1 – To investigate the allegations and similar situations, their causes and effects. 2 – Make recommendations, proposed actions, plans, programs, etc. 3 – Draw up guidelines to help the rational use of chemicals and agrochemicals. 4 – To propose appropriate information tools for use in the media. 5 – Identify the general problems in health care for the affected population. 6 – Develop care strategies to promote rational use of products or disposal. 7 – To collect statistical information and indicators of impact. 8 – Promote the relevant legislation and propose direct action to implement.9 – Proposing awareness and education campaigns on the use and handling of chemicals and agrochemicals. 10 – Implement, execute and / or coordinate actions, plans, projects and programs. 11 – Perform all actions delegated by the Chair of the Commission. Decree 21/09, in its preamble makes special mention of the Barrio Ituzaing Annex, an emblematic case of contamination by spraying with glyphosate in urban and suburban areas. Following this, the April 15, 2009, the Bar Association Environmentalists Argentina initiated an action for amparo before the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation , where he applied a series of measures in environmental protection and national population health at the very serious and widespread consequences for ecosystems and people for the use of this agrochemicals, invoking the precautionary principle of environmental law. The defendants were the National Government and the provinces of Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Santa FeA Monsanto Company, the principal marketer of glyphosate-based herbicide, being referred to as “third party”. In April 2009, Argentina media outlets announced that work of Andres Carrasco, Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Defence, indicates that glyphosate can cause neural defects, intestinal and heart in human embryos . In addition to its role in the Ministry of Defence, Andres Carrasco is a researcher at CONICET (National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina.) However, such work has not been published in an academic journal endorsed by peer review, so that its contents have not been subjected to scrutiny by the scientific community. Clearly, the confrontation with the Minister of Science and Technology, Lino Bara ao, who publicly came out to discr the research of Dr.Carrasco After this, the National Federation of University Teachers (CONADU), expressed solidarity and accompanied the researcher “who in recent days has been the victim of a smear campaign and threats after they had issued the results of an investigation . For the National Health Service and Food Quality (SENASA), the herbicide complies with all regulations, and although the report has been requested for evaluation Andr s Carrasco has not yet received a reply. chambers of agriculture attribute the situation to a smear campaign led by the Executive, following his confrontation with the agro of the retentions on soy exports. The Ministry of Defence of Argentina banned the planting of soybeans in some areas of your property.