Every year, companies from the European Union (EU), such as Germany, Belgium, and Spain, export hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous pesticides to countries outside Europe. Many of the toxic substances in these pesticides are banned in EU countries themselves because they are extremely dangerous to human health and the environment. However, current EU legislation still allows their production and export to countries where they are legal or where regulations are weak, such as Brazil, Ukraine, South Africa, and Indonesia.
The results of an investigation by Public Eye and Unearthed (2025) reveal that European Union companies exported around 122,000 tons of banned pesticides in 2024, a sharp increase from 81,000 tons in 2018. The agrochemical giants that dominated exports of banned pesticides in 2024 included: BASF, a German company, with its main product being glufosinate-ammonium, exported around 33,000 tons; Syngenta, a Swiss company, with its main products chlorothalonil and thiamethoxam, exporting around 9,000 tons through its factories in France and Belgium; and several American companies operating in the EU, such as Corteva and FMC Corporation.
In Indonesia, 1,844 tons of banned pesticides were imported from the EU. Giant agrochemical companies played a major role in the flood of banned pesticides into Indonesia. The following is a list of exporting companies and the recorded amount of pesticides imported into Indonesia, as well as a list of banned pesticides, the amount imported, and the reasons for their ban in the EU.
Companies Exporting Prohibited Pesticides to Indonesia
| No | Name of Exporting Company | Reported Amount (in tons) |
| 1 | BASF | 1,023 |
| 2 | Agria | 308 |
| 3 | Corteva | 140 |
| 4 | Eastman Chemical Company | 120 |
| 5 | Syngenta | 118 |
| 6 | Bayer | 85 |
| 7 | Certis Belchim | 25 |
| 8 | All’Chem | 15 |
| 9 | Alzchem | 10 |
| Total | 1,844 |
Sumber: https://www.publiceye.ch/en/topics/pesticides/weltkarte/
Zat Pestisida Terlarang yang Diimpor di Indonesia
| No | Prohibited Substances | Reported Amount (in tons) | Reasons for Prohibition in the European Union (EU) |
| 1 | Glufosinate | 770 | Can damage the fetus and reduce fertility |
| 2 | Zineb | 198 | The risk of metabolism becoming a cancer-causing substance (ETU) |
| 3 | Profoxydim | 160 | Environmental and health risks that do not meet safety standards |
| 4 | Mancozeb | 145 | Disrupts the hormonal system and poses a risk to the fetus |
| 5 | Thiram | 120 | Acute health risks and highly toxic effects on birds and mammals |
| 6 | Propiconazole | 108 | Reproductively toxic and suspected endocrine disruptor |
| 7 | Fipronil | 108 | Nerve poison |
| 8 | Propineb | 84 | Risk of thyroid and reproductive disorders |
| 9 | Famoxadone | 70 | Potential for accumulation in the environment and risks to aquatic organisms |
| 10 | Picoxystrobin | 70 | Risk of long-term toxicity to soil and aquatic organisms |
| 11 | Cyanamide | 10 | Highly toxic (acute) and dangerous to workers who are directly exposed. |
| 12 | Imidacloprid | 1 | Causing mass deaths in bee colonies (pollinators) |
| 13 | Tricyclazole | 0.01 | Concerns about consumer health safety data |
| Total | 1,844 |
Sumber: https://www.publiceye.ch/en/topics/pesticides/weltkarte/
Given the large amount of banned hazardous pesticides used in Indonesia, the TPOLS Network should review and examine: How great is the impact on workers and communities around oil palm plantations? Are there signs of disease spread, such as miscarriages, cancer, neurological disorders, and so on? And who should be held responsible for the spread of these banned substances?
Solidarity greetings!