Member of the Democratic gathering MP Wael Bou Faour. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — Toxic pesticides used by Lebanese farmers but banned in many other countries have entered Lebanon's market via organized crime networks, MP Wael Bou Faour said in a press conference Wednesday at Parliament, calling on the government to "take the necessary action."
Bou Faour is part of the Democratic Gathering bloc led by Progressive Socialist Party leader Teymour Joumblatt.
"These substances are smuggled through organized networks, involving certain companies and individuals. There is coordination between them and some farmers from Akkar to the South, passing through the Bekaa and Mount Lebanon," Bou Faour said, in comments published by the state-run National News Agency.
Usage of "unregistered pesticides" in Lebanon raises food safety issues over pesticide residue on crops, according to a recent study in the scientific journal "Food Control."
Bou Faour pointed out that most of these pesticides are banned in many countries around the world.
“In Lebanon, they are prohibited based on decisions from the Ministries of Agriculture and Health… They enter the Lebanese market and are used by farmers, some out of ignorance and others knowingly using them as [cheaper] alternatives, and some use them with a lack of conscience,” he said.
"These pesticides are used in crops and consequently enter our homes, causing various illnesses."
The chemicals can cause cancer, lethal poisoning, nervous system disruption and impact memory and childhood brain development, he added.
"The main smuggling route is to and from Syria, led by a Syrian national who moves freely" between the two countries, Bou Faour said at the Wednesday press conference. "We have the names of traders who work with them between the two countries. Some are from Akkar, and others from the Bekaa. They also enter through the port of Beirut, disguised as cleaning materials to be packaged in Lebanon and sold to farmers."