Everyone rails against rising food prices, but these two men are living the consequences of economic pressures on agriculture in their own flesh.
Paul François and Serge Giard seem to give each other strength, despite their respective illnesses linked to pesticides. Usually separated by an ocean, the two farmers are this time sitting on the same sofa and aim to become the ear of the claims of their colleagues tested by these substances, they explain on the other side of the videoconference.
Mr. François is eloquent and agile; his fight against Monsanto in front of French justice lasted more than 13 years and pushed him to be in contact with thousands of people. This cereal producer from the Charente department was close to death when, in 2004, he inhaled the vapors of the herbicide Lasso, now banned in his country of origin and in Canada. He won his case three times, but the company that marketed the substance, since bought by Bayer, tried to overturn the decision several times.
The company’s latest appeal was dismissed in 2020, but Mr Francois has “still not received a penny” in compensation, he says, and the process could drag on for several more years. “You don’t fight this kind of fight to get rich, but there’s no shame in asking for these damages. These companies have no qualms about raking in billions of dollars in profit. »
The farmer still suffers from lesions in the left part of his brain; the latter cause “very violent” headaches, which can lead to hospitalization. A thyroid tumor and an “extremely disturbed” immune system forced him into long hospital stays, sometimes in intensive care.
“But I’m fine,” he blurts out, showing a desire to steer the conversation away from his personal ailments.
Later during the interview, he will say to what extent the farmers see themselves as “robust”: “We don’t talk about our health problems or our money: we go to work. If you complain, we put you among the weak. »
Open dialog
It is precisely “this taboo” that Mr. François wishes to break by touring several regions of Quebec to meet with farmers — and the general public.
Serge Giard adds. Dairy and then grain producer in Montérégie, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014. A doctor concluded after examination that his illness was linked to his exposure to pesticides during his nearly 30-year career. “I experienced it as a defeat. I shouldn’t have hidden, but it’s hard to say “yes, I’m sick” and why; we are stigmatized for having used pesticides,” he says.
Mr. Giard participated in the establishment of Victimes des pesticides du Québec (VPQ), an association he chairs, and contributed to the recognition of Parkinson’s disease as an occupational disease by Quebec. The Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) officially added it to its list last October.
During a visit to Mont-Joli last week, a producer told them that he was afraid of worrying his neighbors and passers-by if he put on all the necessary protective gear when spreading pesticides. “It’s all the paradoxical side of having to protect yourself, isn’t it? notes Mr. François.
They are not there “to judge” their colleagues, they each say in turn, but to listen to them and give visibility to the victims. They are meeting with elected officials in Quebec and Ottawa this week, in addition to participating in conferences at Laval University and UQAM. “What we want is to break the silence in our agricultural community. When we believed in a system and we discover that it has poisoned us and made us sick, it’s difficult to talk about it, ”continues Mr. François.
As here, French producers are tired of being accused of being “polluters” by their use of pesticides. “When we look for foods that are ever less expensive, that definitely has repercussions. […] It is often an agriculture with pesticides”, illustrates Serge Giard. “I don’t know of any farmers who use them to poison themselves or the planet. We need a new dialogue with society. […] Let’s stop looking for scapegoats: we have all taken the wrong road together, the problem belongs to all of us, ”continues his colleague.
The sequence of things
Quebec agricultural producers have until April 6 to register with the CNESST. “Could you call him back? It might help someone,” asks Serge Giard at the end of the interview.
But for his part, he won’t get any compensation. Like many farmers, he did not contribute to the plan during his years on the farm. “It’s too difficult to qualify and there are several other aberrant things in the criteria. We would also like to include other diseases that are very likely to be linked, such as certain cancers, ”he explains.
A foreign agricultural worker recently had his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma recognized as an occupational disease linked to his exposure to pesticides. A decision of the Administrative Labor Tribunal (TAT) which may open “a breach”, hopes Mr. Giard.
Romain Rigal, administrator of VPQ, also claims to accompany before the TAT another victim of pesticides who is struggling to obtain compensation from the CNESST.
A Canada-wide class action lawsuit against Monsanto for its glyphosate-based product Roundup is also coming back to court next month, at which time it will be known whether or not it will be allowed to proceed.