Annual Review 2006 - Pesticide Action Network UK

annual
review
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An independent body working to eliminate the hazards of pesticides

From the Chair of PAN UK
In PAN UK’s 20th year of working to reduce and eliminate the hazards of pesticides, the growth in the demand for organic
cotton, and increasing awareness by consumers of the provenance of the food they eat, clearly demonstrated progress in
areas where PAN has sought to influence opinion. But while these showed achievements towards PAN’s vision of a world
free of toxic pesticides, other events show there is still a long way to go. Confusion was caused by the World Health
Organisation appearing to sanction the increased use of DDT for malaria control in Africa. In the UK, the government
proved unwilling to accept the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Environmental Protection report on Crop
Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders. Both these events and many others show the need for PAN UK’s
continuing work, on its own and as part of the PAN International network.
Some of PAN UK’s achievements in 2006 are shown elsewhere in this review. As the Chair of the Board, I am pleased to
report that in 2006, the organisation remains on a firm financial footing, although gaining grants for our work in what is for
some a very niche sector of operation remains a challenge, but one which, again and again, the small staff and volunteers,
supported by the Board, have shown they can rise to.
2006 also marked the retirement of Barbara Dinham who had worked for PAN for 16 years , the last six as Director, and
without whose commitment and dedication PAN would not be the organisation it is today. We are however delighted that
Linda Craig, former General Secretary of Quaker Peace & Social Witness, joined PAN as Director in September.
Martin Tyler
Chair of the Board
PAN UK objectives are to:
• Eliminate the hazards of pesticides
• Reduce dependence on pesticides
• Promote ecologically and economically sound alternatives to chemical pest control
PAN UK works at several levels:
Local
• providing information about how food and textiles are
produced, to enable consumers to make choices
about buying food free of residues and clothing and
food which has been produced without the growers
paying a price in money and their health.
• increasing the market share of organic cotton in the UK
and other European countries
• publishing advice about controlling pests in the home
and garden without hazardous chemicals.
International
• working with other partner organisations to eliminate
stocks of obsolete pesticides which impact on health
and the environment across Africa, and working with
local NGOs in Africa to prevent the build up of new
stockpiles.
• championing the small scale farmers, in Africa and
elsewhere, as they balance the increasing demands of
the global export trade on which their livelihoods depend with
their abilities to produce food for domestic consumption
National and European
• working to challenge and change national and EU
regulations on pesticides
• providing information to those affected by pesticide
exposure in the UK, with a campaign to increase the
right to information about local pesticide use
Global
• monitoring the implementation of the conventions which
regulate pesticides use, by providing training on
monitoring local impacts and taking case studies about
these impacts of pesticides to decision-makers in
international institutions.
• working with PAN regional centres globally to achieve a
worldwide ban on the most toxic pesticides: endosulfan,
paraquat and DDT.
Outreach
• An active programme of communication to raise awareness of pesticides issues supports and informs project work. This
includes a widely-accessed website; publication of our quarterly journal, Pesticides News; dissemination of peerreviewed
research through Current Research Monitor and its related web-based research site www.pesticidelibrary.org;
the supporters’ bulletin Greenfly; and a service to answer queries from the press and public. PAN UK also runs the
` annual Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture.

Problems with pesticides
Pesticides are toxic chemicals used to kill or control pests (including insects, weeds, diseases) in agriculture, urban areas
and for public health purposes. Their widespread introduction into the environment, often without adequate safeguards,
create problems:
Human poisonings and health risks
Environmental hazards
Loss of biodiversity
Wildlife deaths
Animal and livestock deaths
Interference with natural pest control
Resistance among pests
Unwanted imports
Obsolete and unusable stocks
Residues in food
Water pollution
High input costs
PAN UK’s targets for 2005-2010
Pesticide Action NetworkUK
Solving the problems
1. Pesticide reduction in the UK: A reduction in pesticide
use and exposure in the UK in agriculture, amenity and
homes and gardens, through a pesticide reduction policy
with measurable targets and monitoring systems.
2. Global phase outs: The replacement of six of the
most dangerous pesticides globally, particularly those
recognised as extremely and highly hazardous by the
World Health Organisation and those affecting the
environment and biodiversity
3. Cradle to grave impacts: Recognition of the adverse
impacts of chemical pesticides throughout their life cycle
including: pesticide poisonings; costs of regulation,
disposal and monitoring impacts; and the hidden costs to
health and the environment
4. Corporate accountability: Better regulation of
agrochemical corporations and the transparency of their
activities in relation to pesticide production, sales, exports
and use, with actions to curtail their influence.
5. Obsolete stockpiles: A global clean-up of stocks of
obsolete pesticides in an environmentally sound manner,
backed with obligations and capacity to prevent future
problems
6. Centre of excellence: Establishment of a ‘centre of
excellence’ on alternatives to increase the availability and
access to safer pest management solutions
7. Sustainable supply chains: The creation of a
sustainable supply chain for organic cotton, linked to fair
trade, and for similar fair and healthy supply chains of other
commodities/food items that promote sustainable
agriculture strategies and support rural livelihoods
8. Sustainable agriculture: Significant acceptance at policy
and practical levels of the value of organic, Intergrated Pest
Management, and other agroecological strategies for
farming, that are based on participatory approaches to
build on farmer knowledge and promote biodiversity
9. Supportive research: The adoption of policies by the
UK and the EU that promote funding for public agricultural
research with an emphasis on sustainable pest
management
10. A public voice for pesticide-free-futures: An enhanced
awareness of pesticide problems, and effective channels
for expression of concerns about residues in food, access
to information, and adverse impacts on health and the
environment, to influence changes in policy, regulation and
business practices

Some of PAN UK’s achievements in
Tickets for the Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture and associated exhibition sold out. In the lecture, Dr Camilla Toulmin of
the International Institute for Environment and Development spoke about the importance of organic cotton to small scale
farmers in West Africa, and a lively panel discussion was chaired by William Lana of Greenfibres. The exhibition included
displays of organic cotton clothing from a variety of sources.
Display of Organic Cotton Clothing at the Lecture
Dr Camilla Toulmin presenting the Lecture
‘We are building a new corporate website and in the Ecology section would like
to make your publication “My Sustainable T-Shirt” available for download as a
pdf file from our site. Your brochure does an excellent job of explaining it
[what is implied by the term “organic” clothing] in a straightforward way.’
Textile Company Manager
Bringing 5 Senegalese vegetable smallholders on a farmer
exchange visit to Europe to look at how European growers are
coping with stricter pesticide requirements in a climate of
decreasing farmgate prices. They visited conventional, organic and
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) farms in UK, Netherlands and
Germany, ranging from some of the most high technology and
large-scale greenhouse tomato cultivation supplying major
supermarkets to small-scale organic growers selling via local box
schemes. Many useful lessons were exchanged on alternative
marketing channels, the use of biological control in greenhouse
production, and the need to consider consumer demands.
Left: Senegalese farmer quizzes staff at organic farm, Germany
‘Pesticides News is really a good source for people to find each other and use
the experiences for better practice in safe pest control’
Hossein Heidari, Plant Protection Research Institute, IRAN.
Establishing the Bhopal Medical Appeal as an independent charity: This was finalised in the early months of 2007,
although the work for this was done throughout 2006. The BMA has set a minimum target of transferring £70,000 a
year towards the running costs of the Sambhavna Clinic, which provides medical care and support for the victims of the
1984 Bhopal gas disaster. The target was achieved in 2006.

2006
The launch of the new organic cotton website www.WearOrganic.org: a consumer-oriented and user-friendly website to
raise the profile of organic cotton with the public. The centrepiece of the website is the Directory to Organic Cotton
Retailers, which now contains 80 UK brands, 250 retail outlets and as
many online or mail-order shops. The initial response from retailers has
been excellent. From its launch, the Wear Organic section has proved
by far the most popular section of the website accounting for just over
30% of all traffic generated.
‘PAN’s publications are fantastic. As a journalist I really appreciate such welldocumented
and reliable info, which you can see has been thoroughly checked.’
Angela Robson, BBC freelancer
PAN UK provided significant input into the Royal Commission on Environmental Protection report on Crop Spraying and
the Health of Residents and Bystanders, and like other campaigners, was dismayed when the government response
rejected most of the recommendations, preferring a voluntary approach to more legislation. PAN continues both to
monitor effectiveness of the voluntary approach, and to seek opportunities to influence the legislative process.
A re-launch of the PAN UK website, including revised guidance on pesticide
residues in food, based on PAN’s detailed analysis of government residue
statistics. These pages provide practical information on how to avoid residues,
including – top ten food for residues; worst and best fruit; worst and best
vegetables; worst other food. Surveys show ongoing consumer concern about
residues – PAN continues to provide the information consumers need.
The new PAN UK website was launched in June 2006
‘Many thanks once again for the monthly Gardening Tips, which I pass on to
community gardening groups as well as dispose of a fair number in our cafe.
Well done for churning them out every month!’
London Borough Gardens Officer
With PAN Africa and PAN Asia-Pacific, adapting the Community-based Pesticide Action Monitoring training materials
which have been successful in Asia to an African context. Communities which have been trained will be able to provide
scientifically rigorous evidence of how pesticides are affecting health and environment in their communities, to influence
international pesticide regulation. The first training events took place in Tanzania and Senegal in summer 2006. 52
participants were drawn from Mali, Morocco, Tunisia, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Niger, Burkina
Faso, Tanzania and Mauritania to ensure that a maximum dissemination of this training.
NGO and government extension staff in practical training on ecotoxicological monitoring, Ethiopia

Statement of Financial Activities
(incorporating income and expenditure account)
For the year ended 31 December 2006
INCOMING RESOURCES
Restricted Unrestricted Total Total
Funds 2006 £ Funds 2006 £ Funds 2006 £ Funds 2005 £
Incoming resources from generated funds
Voluntary income and core funding - 20,000 20,000 12,945
Activities to generate funds - 83,900 83,900 61,062
Investment income - 8,666 8,666 12,985
Incoming resources from charitable activity 1,407,201 11,005 1,418,206 1,158,058
Other incoming resources - 21,616 21,616 -
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES 1,407,201 145,187 1,552,388 1,245,050
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Costs of generating funds:
Fundraising and promotion costs - 12,995 12,995 22,878
Charitable expenditure:
Costs of activities in furtherance of the
charity's objects 1,474,462 14,868 1,489,330 1,195,394
Governance costs - 8,588 8,588 14,202
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED 1,474,462 36,451 1,510,913 1,232,474
Net income / (expenses) (67,261) 108,736 41,475 12,576
TOTAL FUNDS AT 1 JANUARY 2006 258,515 66,411 324,926 312,350
TOTAL FUNDS AT 31 DECEMBER 2006 £ 191,254 £ 175,147 £ 366,401 £ 324,926
Full annual accounts for 2006 available at www.pan-uk.org
PAN UK is grateful for all the generous support we received, financially and in kind, in 2006. Major donors are listed
below, and we also received many donations from individuals. It is not possible to list all these, but we thank all those
who have sent donations - these are vital to PAN UK’s operation.
Major donors in 2006
1970 Trust, Chapman Charitable Trust, City Bridge Trust,
Commission of the European Communities, Cuthbert Horn
Charitable Trust, Environment Agency, Esmee Fairburn
Foundation, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United
Nations, Hivos (Biodiversity Fund of the Dutch Government), JA
Clark, JJ Charitable Trust, Oxfam-NOVIB, Sheepdrove Trust, The
Cooperative Bank, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, The
Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation, The Sigrid Rausing Trust,
World Bank Development Grant Fund.
Left: Farmer in Tanzania: unsafe spraying practices

Pesticide Action Network UK works to eliminate the dangers of toxic pesticides, our exposure to them, and their presence
in the environment where we live and work. Nationally and globally, PAN promotes safer alternatives, the production of
healthy food and sustainable farming.
Staff
Linda Craig, Director
Oscar Martinez, Finance Manager
Dr. Stephanie Williamson, International Project Officer, Food &
Fairness
Damien Sanfilippo, Cotton Project Officer
Eloise Touni, Project Officer, African Stockpiles and Pesticides
and Poverty (maternity leave to early 2008)
Dr. Sheila Willis, Project Officer, African Stockpiles and
Pesticides and Poverty
Dr. Roslyn McKendry, Editor of Pesticides News, National
Project Officer
Nick Mole, UK and European Programme Coordinator
Rebecca Richings, Information and Outreach Manager
Diane Gangadeen, Assistant Accountant
Ed Payne, Senior Administrator
Elliott Cannell, PAN Europe Coordinator
Kate Bootle, Executive Secretary, Bhopal Medical Appeal
Barbara Dinham, retired October 2006
Alistair Friend, left May 2006
Alison Craig, left July 2006
Clare Butler Ellis, left December 2006
Board of Directors
Martin Tyler (Chair), Head of Finance, Fairtrade Foundation
David Baldock, Director, Institute for European Environmental
Policy
Peter Beaumont, Osteopath
Eileen Maybin, Media Advisor, Fairtrade Foundation
Jane Shepherd, Founder, Organics for Kids
Laura Potts, Reader in Public Health and the Environment, York
St John University
Mike Ward, Transport and General Workers Union, lay
representative
Christopher Stopes, EcoS Consultancy
Anthony Youdeowei, Adviser to the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the UN, Accra, Ghana
Sandra Bell, Friends of the Earth (resigned September 2006)
Volunteers
We have continued to benefit from the hard work of a range of
volunteers, some for short periods, others over a longer period
of time. In 2006, these were:
Rico Coelho, Judy Daniels, Hazel Drummond, Brian Green, Ava
Greenwell, Gaelle Hossie, Sarah Johnston, Tomo Kojo-
Robertson, Lidia Labbaci, Alisa Levina, Jonathan Marriott,
Sharna Richings, Maddy Rolinson, Sanja Treskic, Reinalt
Vaughan-Williams, Manga Waggott.
Publications
Pesticides News
PAN UK’s flagship quarterly journal provided in-depth
research, news and information to subscribers –
practitioners, policy-makers, NGOs and other in over 100
countries. In 2006, readers learnt, for example, about the
hazards of pesticides in West African Cotton growing, PAN
North America’s drift catcher project, the impact of farmer
training in Africa, food residues campaigns in Austria and
the Netherlands, and the progress of the African Stockpiles
Programme. PN critiqued the UK national pesticide strategy
and EU directives on the use of pesticides. All this
alongside smaller news items and book reviews.
Greenfly
In Autumn 2006, Greenfly, our newsletter for supporters
was an allotment special. It also included a handy wallet
sized cut-out-and-keep guide to the fruits, vegetable and
other foods shown to have the highest pesticide residues.
Gardening Tips
Produced monthly, and downloaded by or sent to over
1,000 gardeners, allotment holders and allotment
organisations, Gardening Tips included a monthly round up
of tasks, and updates on chemical free ways of dealing with
pests and diseases, such as downy mildew and carrot root
fly.
Other publications produced in 2006
• Your Daily Poison: The Second UK
Pesticide Exposure Report
• The Alternative Pesticides Residues
report – what the Government
doesn’t tell us
• My Sustainable T shirt – a guide to
Organic, Fairtrade, and other Eco
Standards and Labels for Cotton
Textiles

Company Registered Number
02036915
Charity Registered Number
0327215
Registered Office
Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT
+44 207 065 0905
Visit these key PAN websites for pesticide resources
www.pesticidelibrary.org
PAN UK’s web-based library of scientific and other research papers on pesticide
concerns
www.pesticidedisposal.org
PAN UK’s online database of pesticide disposal facilities
www.pesticideinformation.org
PAN North America’s comprehensive and easily searchable database on all
pesticide active ingredients
www.oisat.org
PAN Germany’s new database on sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides in
14 important crops important for developing countries