Bans on Atrazine in Europe and Switzerland: Why Are Hormones Still Used in India?

History and Producers of Atrazine

Scientists at the Swiss company JR Geigy developed this chemical in a laboratory in 1958. Today, this company is known as Syngenta. In 2017, Syngenta was acquired by a state-owned Chinese company, which is now the main producer of this substance. Currently, Atrazine is completely banned in more than 60 countries worldwide.

According to Indian government documents, 37 countries have officially banned its use, and all 27 European Union countries have included it in the 'not approved' category. This means a complete ban on its use in soil and water to preserve the environment. However, due to the influence of agrochemical companies and the weakness of the state system, the substance, proven to be a poison for human hormones, is freely offered in India for use in groundwater and food.

Government Stance and Reversal

In May 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture of India released a draft notification containing alarming scientific justifications for a complete ban on Atrazine. International scientific reports available to the public indicated that this chemical paralyzes internal glands, contributing to outbreaks of thyroid diseases and hormonal imbalance in the country. The producers of this chemical did not provide data on how long it remains active in the soil. After spraying, it does not decompose but seeps, poisoning underground water and proving highly toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms.

However, in 2020, when the government document demanded a complete abandonment of this herbicide, agrochemical companies earning billions intervened. The companies presented arguments to the government about potential economic damage and job losses, forcing the entire bureaucracy to back down. A new technical expert committee was established to resolve the issue, led by Dr. T.P. Rajendran, a former scientist from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Change in Commission's Position

This is when the biggest manipulation of the country's population occurred. Companies claimed that there was no local data in India regarding the harm caused by this substance. The expert committee exploited this technical loophole and quietly removed Atrazine from the list of prohibited substances in the final notification of October 2023. In effect, the companies were given free rein, allowing them to continue 'playing' with the health of Indians until they provided new safety data.

Arguments Against the Ban

The main and frequently used argument by the companies is that the ban will lead to falling crop yields and famine in the country. Agricultural scientists and officials easily accept this 'narrative'. The same happened with Atrazine. However, the theory that crop failure and famine can be caused by one chemical is the biggest lie in this country. Currently, India is experiencing a record grain harvest. The problem is that the country lacks sufficient storage facilities to safely store this harvest, and millions of tons of wheat and rice rot in the open every year.

When a country has a surplus of grain, one must ask policymakers: what is more important—rotting crops in warehouses or the health of the nation's citizens? Who is responsible for ordinary people suffering from hormonal diseases and spending their savings in hospitals? Has the annual turnover of companies become more expensive than our lives?

Illegal Use and Alternatives

Although government documents state that Atrazine is only permitted for three registered crops—corn, sugarcane, and millet—the reality is different. Local sellers and dealers, striving for greater profit and commissions, spray this slow poison on rice and vegetable fields consumed daily by illiterate farmers. This illegal (off-label) use delivers this slow poison directly onto our tables, and no one can escape it.

Developed countries are so sensitive to protecting drinking water and the endocrine system of their citizens that they quickly banned their own invention. But here, the pressure from agrochemical companies and the weakness of scientific committees have placed the population in a dangerous labyrinth. There are many safe and modern alternatives on the market, yet the government, instead of making them cheap and accessible, supports old and dangerous chemicals. It is time to openly question this policy, because if the health of the nation's citizens is undermined, all this record harvest in the warehouses will lose all value.