The cost of spraying crops with pesticides is becoming increasingly expensive. So, some farmers in Greece’s agricultural heartland are turning to a cheaper alternative: liquids in unlabeled plastic bottles smuggled over land and sea.

Thessalia

Farmers in Greece's agricultural regions are increasingly using illegal and counterfeit pesticides as the cost of legal crop protection rises. These substances, often smuggled in unmarked bottles, are banned in the European Union due to concerns over their potential health and environmental impacts, including links to cancer and organ damage. While some farmers believe these illegal products are more effective and affordable, medical professionals in the region have reported a rise in respiratory diseases potentially linked to pesticide exposure. 

EU data indicates that at least 14% of pesticides used in the bloc are illegal, with some Greek regions reporting rates as high as 25%. Authorities acknowledge that the true extent of the problem is likely higher due to undetected smuggling. The Greek agriculture ministry states that addressing illegal pesticide use is a priority, aiming to protect public health and support farmers.

Europe's illegal pesticide trade surges as farmers cut costs

It is a secret. People will not easily tell you from where they are getting their supply. If you want to get it, you will find it. The cost of spraying crops with pesticides is becoming increasingly expensive. So some farmers in Greece's agricultural heartland are turning to a cheaper alternative, banned and counterfeit products. These liquids in unlabeled plastic bottles are smuggled over land and sea. Farmer Thanasis Kostas says he has not used illegal products himself. And all of the products shown in this video are legal pesticides. A dozen other farmers told Reuters illegal products are cheaper and more effective. But they are also potentially more harmful. All pesticides have consequences. And most of us farmers here, no one follows the guidance to wear masks, to wear the proper attire. There are consequences. There's prostate cancer, lung cancer. I am afraid. Lab tests shared with Reuters show the bottles contain pesticides banned in the European Union for years because of suspected risks to the environment and to humans, including links to liver, kidney and lung damage, or as possible carcinogens. While the risk to consumers from low levels of pesticides in food is minimal, the risks to farmers using illegal pesticides may be greater, says the WHO. Doctors and toxicologists in Greece's farming regions say they have seen a rise in respiratory diseases in recent years, potentially linked to pesticide exposure. Over large periods of time, sensitivities, allergies, even neoplasms can occur. This is a serious issue. Doctors are beginning to collect patient data, but some farmers, like Kostas, greet the risks with a shrug. I had a mask, but this year, for example, I didn't wear it at all. At least 14% of pesticides used on EU fields today are illegal, EU data shows. In some areas of Greece, that number hits 25%, Greece's Crop Protection Association says. But the situation is echoed across the EU, where authorities say the use of banned and counterfeit pesticides is higher than ever, and the problem is likely much bigger, because so much smuggling goes undetected, authorities explained. Some farmers say pesticides can be up to 50% of their annual costs, and illegal pesticides are half the price. Greek farmers are particularly vulnerable because of the lingering impacts of the financial crisis and climate change, which has parched their land and brought pest outbreaks. So for a farmer to survive, does he have to become a criminal? Does he have to be illegal and have the state chasing after him? I don't understand, and it makes me angry. It is not logical to have to force farmers to try and find cheaper pesticides so they can survive. Apple farmer Yorgos Zekos says he has refused offers to use illegal pesticides, but farmers in six villages across the valley, which produces apples, almonds, grains and tomatoes, said they or their relatives or neighbors had. They asked to remain anonymous. Another temptation is the belief that illegal pesticides are more effective than their legal alternatives. Many farmers who use them say they pay in cash, spray at night and burn the empty containers to erase all evidence. This makes it hard for authorities to punish lawbreakers. Greece's agriculture ministry told Reuters that the fight against illegal pesticides is a priority, and that Greece was working to protect public health, support farmers and promote safe, legal agriculture production.

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