Several years ago, Sun Jing and other members of the Pesticide Eco-Alternatives Center in China learned that local farmers were mysteriously falling ill and dying. They suspected this had something to do with a herbicide called paraquat that farmers were using. The farmers had no idea what a deadly chemical they were handling every day. There was little research and no warning label.
Paraquat is an acutely toxic weed killer. The chemical destroys green plant tissue on contact and is also toxic to animals; direct contact on the skin causes death. Long-term exposure can result in Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer. China is the world’s largest producer of paraquat, manufacturing 100,000 tons per year.
Sun Jing and her colleagues took action. They talked to farmers. They researched the chemical. They established relationships with officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, shared their research, and advocated for change. Global Greengrants Fund supported their work from the beginning and sustained it over several years.
In April 2012, their efforts bore fruit: The Chinese government announced the country will halt all production and use of liquid paraquat by 2016. This is a huge victory. Sun Jing points out that this will not only protect farmers in China, but also in countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and the United States that purchase paraquat from China.
“This is meaningful to the health and life of millions of people,” Sun Jing said.
Protection and conservation are critical tools for preserving biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. At Global Greengrants Fund, we believe it’s also important to protect humans who live in harmony with the land.
Global Greengrants Fund supports local protection and conservation efforts that are led by the people who steward the land. Our grantees protect forests, wetlands, marine ecosystems, water supplies, animals, and people.
Learn about other recent grantee successes in our 2012 annual report.