President of Argentine Chamber of deputies proposes law that can criminalize agrochemicals

By Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages

Sergio Massa, president of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina, presented a bill to tackle rural crimes which legal experts warn could make fumigation of agrochemicals a crime.

Andrés Domínguez, lawyer and professor of Law at the National University of La Plata, warned that the modification of Articles 186 and 189 is “very dangerous”. 

“They encompass a very broad criminal definition, but there are many and very varied actions that fall within the description of the articles, and therefore may be a crime,” he stated.

One has to do with the reference to “pathogen, toxic or energy release, radiation emission, or any other destructive process capable of wreaking havoc,” that is included in the Massa project. “Many actions can be included into what the proposal describes here, and thus, become a crime,” Domínguez said.

The specialist cautioned that the term “toxic pathogens”, without a proper clarification of the scope, could leave a “window” open to the interpretation of the judges and the police regarding the applications of agrochemicals, fertilizers and the treatment of waste from agro-industrial processes.

“The penalties are very high,” Domínguez warned.