"Between 1922 and 1930, France's inadequate actions and misguided policies led to the contamination of agricultural land with pesticides in both Guadeloupe and Martinique," said Philippe Eugène Louis Verdol, lecturer in economic sciences, during a panel discussion at the conference "Towards the Decolonization of Guadeloupe! Challenges and Perspectives" held in Baku, APA reports.
He spoke in detail about the consequences of the French government’s flawed agricultural policies in its colonial territories.
Verdol noted that French institutions responsible for agriculture contaminated arable land in Guadeloupe and Martinique with toxic pesticides: “Pesticides are toxic and can cause cancer in humans. The harmful effects of these substances remain relevant in Guadeloupe and Martinique. The most dangerous aspect is that the damage can be passed down through generations. Pesticides can also slow brain development. The substance chlordecone, which appears as a white powder, is applied to the roots of banana plants. This leads to contamination of the crops. The greatest danger is that France has taken no action to mitigate the effects of this chemical. Its impact can persist in the soil for up to 11,000 years.”
He emphasized that France’s actions in this area amounted to a covert form of ethnocide.
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