Don’t be fooled, my friends. The announcement from Syngenta to cease paraquat production does not mean that our fight to ban this chemical is over. ~Olivia Nassaris, CEO Parkinson’s Australia
Syngenta’s decision to cease production cited significant competition from generic producers, “which has eroded Syngenta’s competitiveness in the production of this herbicide.” They don’t care about the harm that it causes; they care that there is a decreased ROI for the manufacturing plant.
Syngenta’s announcement brought waves of social media posts from around the world with the message that somehow this was a huge win for the Parkinson’s community and the #BanParaquat campaign was over. I regret to say that it is not!
The Regulatory Battle Here at Home
This is not the end of Paraquat. There are 750 other companies who are registered to sell this chemical. The risk to the public is still present.
Paraquat, under other product names, will continue to be used by farmers. They will still be in danger of increasing their risk of developing Parkinson’s. The only way that we will see a ban in the use of the chemical is through decisions by the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) in Australia and by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States.
In Australia, the APVMA has been conducting a formal review of paraquat — a process that has itself been anything but straightforward. The APVMA published a draft Technical Review and proposed regulatory decision in July 2024, then invited public submissions, which closed on 29 October 2024. Following a high volume of submissions during the public consultation process, the APVMA revised timeframes for publication of its final regulatory decision. They then announced it would take further time in light of updated research from the US EPA finding greater uncertainty about paraquat’s potential to volatilise and enter the atmosphere.
The final regulatory decision is now expected in mid-2026. We urge the APVMA to let the science, not industry lobbying, guide that decision.
In the United States, the EPA has similarly faced sustained pressure from advocates, scientists and members of Congress to act. A National Institutes of Health study found that workers who have used paraquat are 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s, and research published in 2024 found that people who live near the fields where paraquat is sprayed also experience increased Parkinson’s disease risks. Yet the agency has repeatedly delayed a definitive ban.
A ban on the use of paraquat produced by Syngenta or any other company is the only way that farmers, council workers and golf course greenskeepers are safe.
A World That Has Already Said No
Australia and the United States are not operating in a vacuum. The rest of the world has been paying attention to this evidence. Over 70 countries, including the entire European Union, have banned paraquat, including China, Switzerland, and the UK, the very countries responsible for producing and distributing the chemical. The European Union banned paraquat in 2007, after a court ruled that the 2004 decision approving it was wrong to find there were no indications of neurotoxicity, and that studies about the link between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease should have been considered. China banned its domestic use in 2017; Thailand followed in 2019, and Brazil, Chile, Malaysia, Peru and Taiwan between 2020 and 2022. Canada, though it nominally permitted paraquat’s use, saw Syngenta pull its product from the Canadian market in 2023.
To put it plainly: the countries that make paraquat won’t let their own farmers use it. That alone should tell us everything we need to know.
The Legal Fight Continues
Shine Lawyers have said the company’s announcement hasn’t changed plans for a class action against Syngenta in Australia. “We are continuing to investigate a proposed class action to seek compensation for the victims and families.”
In the US, Syngenta has recently entered into an agreement aimed at settling thousands of lawsuits alleging that paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease.
So far, Syngenta has settled all of its cases before any reached trial, including one settlement in January 2026. Further, there is the agreement to settle thousands of other paraquat claims entered into in March 2026, even while reaffirming that “paraquat is safe when used in line with registered label instructions.” That posture, settling cases while denying wrongdoing, is a continuation of the same playbook used for decades. It is not justice for those living with Parkinson’s today because of this chemical.
The #BanParaquat Fight Is Not Over
The fight is not over. It has never been more important. Parkinson’s Australia will continue our campaign, and we hope that you will join us. Please continue to share this campaign so we can reach 20,000 signatures to #banparaquat in Australia.
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