Pesticide Exposure: Farmers Face⁣ Long Fight for Occupational Disease Recognition

For ⁢some illnesses, inclusion on the list of recognized occupational ‍diseases is straightforward. Though, for⁢ farmers alleging health issues⁣ stemming from pesticide exposure, recognition frequently‍ enough requires navigating the Pesticides Compensation‍ Fund (FIVP) or even the ‍court system⁣ – ‍processes described as lengthy adn complex.

Families Struggle for ⁤Recognition, compensation

Benoît Laurent spent years compiling documentation to support his father, Martial, 84, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008. Martial,a lifelong farmer,handled pesticides without protective gear for decades. It took 15 years for the⁤ disease to be recognized⁢ as work-related and for compensation to be ‍approved, ‍according to Laurent.

Laurent initiated the process in 2020, with the backing‍ of his two⁢ brothers and a support association for pesticide victims. ⁣He witnessed his father’s “slow degradation” and the ⁢toll it⁢ took on his mother, who died in November 2023. “My father was no longer able to fight,” Laurent said. Martial’s entry into a ‍specialized care unit in 2020 cost 2,000 ‍euros per month, depleting his parents’ savings. “There was nothing left,” Laurent stated, adding that‍ the compensation now helps ⁣cover his father’s care. “He did not take advantage of his ⁤retirement,” and his mother “felt a lot of bitterness,”⁣ laurent said.

Philippe Lendormy also experienced delays in seeking recognition for his father, Joseph, who died in 2022 from dementia with Lewy bodies. “It took⁤ me almost eight⁣ years to make the link with pesticides,” said Lendormy, a 60-year-old education advisor.

Unprotected Exposure: A Common ⁢Theme

Lendormy’s father farmed in Ille-et-Vilaine, also handling pesticide treatments for neighboring farms. Lendormy recalled his‍ father “plunging his arm⁢ into the tank to mix (pesticides),” often exposed up to his shoulder. He added that his father ⁣”never had a tractor with a pressurized cabin”‍ for protection during spraying. The ⁢former farmer began showing symptoms of the disease at age 74.

“I made the request (for recognition) very ⁤late, two ‍months before my father died,” Lendormy said. ‍He explained that his parents lacked “the energy nor the ⁢codes to ‍go to court.” With support, his 82-year-old mother eventually received compensation ⁢for caring for her sick husband for years.

Seeking Justice for Loved Ones

Valérie Vivien,50,is pursuing legal action after her father’s frontotemporal dementia‍ was denied recognition as an occupational disease.

Michel pelatre, 77, a former farmer in Ille-et-Vilaine, developed health problems in 2007 and was diagnosed a decade later. He also used pesticides without protection for nearly 40 years.

As his condition worsened, Pelatre‍ entered a specialized care unit in 2021, costing 2,200 euros per month. “I have to sell the house; mom has‍ trouble⁣ understanding,” said vivien, noting her parents “worked all their lives ‍to have that.” Her mother, also ⁤a former farmer, is developing memory problems.

Vivien hopes to secure compensation for her father’s care and prevent ⁢others from facing similar battles. “I would like young farmers to ‍see what can cause the use of pesticides,” Vivien said. “they degraded dad’s brain; it is indeed not acceptable.”