CEO's Opinion piece on Paraquat's exit from Australia & New Zealand: DON’T BE FOOLED BY CHEMICAL COMPANY DUMMY SPIT
OPINION: By Olivia Nassaris, Parkinson’s Australia Chief Executive Officer
For the second time, Syngenta is doing the commercial equivalent of throwing its dummy out of the cot by announcing that "Following the recent decision on the regulation of paraquat by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), and a subsequent comprehensive commercial review by Syngenta, the decision has been made to exit all paraquat-containing products in Australia and New Zealand on commercial grounds." [see Syngenta's media statement]
I've been sent messages saying, "this is great' and "we won" but I must warn everyone - do not be fooled that this means that that the use of paraquat in Australia is ending - because it's not. There are plenty of companies producing the chemical ready to take its place.
One of the reasons that Syngenta also writes in its media statement is that the highly competitive generic market has eroded profitability. What it doesn’t say is that it agreed to divest from paraquat production approximately nine years ago (in 2017) when ChemChina acquired Syngenta.
Syngenta is presently the number one producer of paraquat and number two on that list is Nanjing Red Sun - a major Chinese agrochemical company and one of the leading global suppliers of paraquat dichloride technical material and formulations. The company has a significant production capacity and a robust supply chain, and its key strategic initiatives includes expansion of distribution networks in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Paraquat's regulatory status around the world has changed over time. As of 2026, more than 70 countries have implemented bans or severe restrictions limiting the use of the pesticide including complete bans in 2007 in both the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Yet in Australia, in 2026 not only have we not banned the use of paraquat, but we also wake up to stories about the APVMA wanting to approve a 500-fold increase of the so-called "forever chemical" isocycloseram when we have no idea about the impact on human health – let alone the impact on children who love eating berries and parents who favour berries as a healthy snack and treat. [see ABC article]
Oh, I forgot to mention, isocycloseram is produced by Syngenta – why kick the old paraquat can down the road when you can have new chemicals and increases in usage to push and the APVMA lets you test levels on the Aussie market!
China is the world's largest manufacturer of paraquat, despite banning its domestic use more than a decade ago over "public health concerns".
In about 2012 the Chinese government announced a ban, citing serious health risks including links to Parkinson's disease, cancer, and reduced fertility, as well as its frequent use in suicides. The government implemented a multi-stage phase-out period, allowing time for agricultural sectors to transition to safer alternatives.
I have stated this fact in many interviews with the media that China produces paraquat for production yet has banned the use in its own country. Some have mistakenly construed this as a criticism of China, but it's not. China chose to ban paraquat over the impact that it has on people’s health.
Why isn’t our government choosing our health? APVMA? Minister for Agriculture? Minister for Health? Anyone?
What can you do?
Help us by getting 5 friends and family members to sign our Change.org petition with over 20,300 signatures already, we can increase our unified voice over this disgraceful stubbornness to ban a chemical so toxic, one sip can kill.
More at:
Petition · Ban the use of Paraquat in Australia - Australia · Change.org
Statement on the APVMA’s Final Decision on Paraquat and Diquat
Banned chemical found by scientist in fresh berries sold at NSW supermarkets - ABC News