A/HRC/43/44/Add.5 E. Use of pesticides and the Xylella fastidiosa disease 58. Data from the Ministry of Health and the European Commission show that the irregular presence of residues in food is 0.9 per cent in Italy, a much lower rate when compared to the average European Union rate of 2.5 per cent. Between 2007 and 2017, there was no decrease in the presence of residues of one or multiple pesticides in the food analysed. The percentage in fact remains somewhat stable at 17 per cent for produce found to have residues of only one pesticide, and at 18 per cent for those found with multiple residues of pesticides simultaneously present.27 In 2016, Eurostat also released data indicating that Italy was one of the biggest consumers of pesticides in the European Union, together with Spain, France and Germany. The findings raise concerns about the impact of the use of pesticides on people’s health.28 However, Italian standards with regard to the use of pesticides and fruit preservatives are often stricter than those of other European countries (several products are prohibited in Italy while allowed elsewhere in Europe). 59. With regard to pesticides, one concerning element is the issue of multi-residues: often, the sample is declared to be safe, since the quantity of each residue is within the legal limits; however, multi-residues could be harmful to consumers’ health and to the environment. There is a need to develop new laws that address the alarming situation, particularly in terms of products containing multi-residues. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies highlighted the fact that regular checks took place by the competent authorities and that the fruit and vegetable sector was subjected to rigorous and continuous inspections. Nevertheless, it remains unclear if the European Food Safety Authorities and the Italian authorities take the multi-residue issue into consideration when determining the levels of pesticides considered safe for consumption, which seems to be a crucial element in pesticide-residue analysis. 60. According to some testimonies of agricultural workers working in greenhouses, pesticides are used for a variety of products, particularly non-organic fruits and vegetables, with little to no protection or health risk warnings for agricultural workers. A number of cases of toxicity were reported, which included burned skin while spraying the product, respiratory diseases, genetic disorders and premature births. These last three types of cases are highly difficult to prove, as in many instances the side effects on health are not immediately present, and doctors are not trained to detect such impacts. Workers also reported that employers did not offer protective equipment, leaving it up to the worker to purchase appropriate work gear. 61. In the central part of Italy, investigations carried out by local authorities and by independent researchers discovered the use of counterfeit pesticides. The production of such pesticides was under the control of criminal organizations that imported them from outside the country, processed and packaged them with counterfeit labels within Italy and then sold them for use in agricultural production. An example is the company L.Gobbi, which confirmed the cease of production of the pesticide Adrop in 2003, 29 but it can still be found as a counterfeit pesticide. 62. In 2016, the Ministry of Health placed a number of restrictions on the use of glyphosate, one of the world’s most ubiquitous pesticides. The use of glyphosate was banned in public areas, which was one of the largest bans on the agricultural use of the pesticide. The restrictions were inspired by the new European Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/1313 of 1 August 2016, which encouraged member States to develop and implement integrated pest management or alternative techniques to reduce dependency on the use of pesticides. 63. Respect for the right to food requires a stronger intervention to halt the import, production and use of illegal pesticides that have negative effects on workers and consumers’ health, along with a reliable system of sanitary support for anyone directly exposed to toxic 27 28 29 10 Legambiante, “Stop pesticidi”, 18 February 2019. Sallyann Nicholls, “Which EU countries consume the most pesticides?”, Euronews, 15 October 2018. It should be noted, however, that statistics usually refer to products that are sold on the market and not specifically pesticides used in agriculture. See www.lgobbi.it/it/6432-2/.