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Fertility problems and pesticides in Panama

Thousands of men in Panama say they’ve been made sterile by a now banned pesticide and have been fighting a decades-long battle for justice.

Grace Livingstone investigates the ongoing case a group of men in Panama have brought against banana firms. We hear from two of the men who claim they were made sterile after handling a pesticide in their jobs on banana plantations.

United States companies used a pesticide called DBCP on banana plantations in Latin America in the late 1970s, even though the United States restricted and then banned its use in mainland America because of the health risks. We ask why – even today - pesticides that are outlawed in one country can still be exported and used abroad.

Presenter / producer: Grace Livingstone
Image: Mr Coba at the banana plantation where he used to work; Credit: Grace Livingstone

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18 minutes

Last on

Thu 21 Jul 2022 07:32GMT

Broadcast

  • Thu 21 Jul 2022 07:32GMT

Podcast