Last weekend, around 300 demonstrators gathered outside Syngenta’s chemical plant in Monthey, Switzerland, on Saturday as part of an international day of action against the agrochemical giant under the banner “Stop Pesticides”. Protests also took place in Basel and several other countries, reported RTS.
The protesters warned of the health risks associated with pesticides, including acute poisoning, chronic illness and cancer. They argued that agricultural workers and rural communities bore the brunt of exposure to hazardous chemicals.
A handful of multinationals continue to profit while increasingly poisoning our water, land and communities, the organisers said. For years, we have gathered evidence, raised the alarm and campaigned for change. Yet our voices remain unheard.
Demands for transparency and accountability
Around 300 people marched from Monthey railway station to Syngenta’s chemical plant, according to a count by a journalist from Keystone-ATS, the Swiss news agency.
The organisers called on Syngenta to disclose a complete list of the chemicals and products manufactured at its Monthey plant. They also demanded an end to the production of substances banned in Switzerland but still manufactured for export, along with compensation for environmental damage under the polluter-pays principle.
The campaigners accused Syngenta of obstructing local authorities’ efforts to protect drinking-water supplies through legal challenges and restrictions on access to information about chemical discharges into waterways.
They also called on the government of Valais, the canton in which Monthey is situated, to compensate municipalities facing water-treatment costs.
The protesters argued that cantonal authorities had failed in their regulatory duties by not implementing changes to federal legislation concerning triazole, even if the omission had been unintentional.
Syngenta defends its operations
Syngenta said it respected the right of organisations to express their views but regretted that the protest organisers had not sought direct talks with the company.
“Syngenta respects every organisation’s right to express its point of view, but regrets that the organisers chose not to engage in direct dialogue with us,” the company told Keystone-ATS.
The multinational defended the importance of its Monthey plant, which employs around 900 people and produces crop-protection chemicals.
Syngenta said it continued to invest in the facility to improve competitiveness, uphold safety and environmental standards and secure its long-term future.
The company described Monthey as a major centre for manufacturing and industrialising crop-protection products. It also emphasised the role of pesticides in safeguarding global food supplies.
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