The National Commission of Inquiry Agrochemicals (NCAR) "does not know the quantity or quality of agrochemicals, areas of use, nor knows the exposed population," says a report from the General Audit Office (AGN, for its acronym in Spanish) evaluating its work between 2009 and 2014.

Since its inception in 2009, as it was published last week in The Auditor.info, the Commission generated six Working Groups dedicated to specific issues. Group one is dedicated to knowledge and research, however, "it never updated the map of use of glyphosate in Argentina based on acreages of wheat, corn, soybean and sunflower."

Also no studies of the 10 most significant substances were performed by annual import volume. On this last point, the auditors point out that "the CNIA only prepared reports on glyphosate, endosulfan and their formulations."

Under the orbit of this first working group was surveying damage health. The AGN said that "the published data are incomplete, poorly systematized and outdated." "A database on the factors causing acute poisoning by agrochemicals was never made".

Meanwhile, Working Group Three is responsible for the press and communication through awareness campaigns and education about the use and handling of chemicals and agrochemicals. In this regard the AGN notes that "the group was dismantled and merged with six, whose function is prevention training." However, "no actions were taken to sensitize and inform the population" and "no massive diffusion of prevention was observed in the use of agrochemicals throughout the country."

For the Prevention and Control of Pesticide Poisoning and Agricultural Chemicals Program (PRECOTOX, for its acronym in Spanish) the Ministry of Health of Argentina created a network of surveillance software nationwide where "compulsorily the provinces should report all cases of outbreaks and pesticide poisoning."

However, "repeated failures" in the registration and notification of cases caused that "there are not many data". To this is coupled with the estimate that "more than 50% of intoxicated do not go to a doctor or, if they do, their discomfort is recorded as stomach poisoning."

However, "there are queries that are not loaded into the database" which makes "unreliable information overturned in the official bulletin of the Ministry of Health." Among the reasons why this happens is the "lack of staff, insufficient materials and the lack of budgetary involvement."

The Working Group handles two standards and legislation. In this regard, the Audit points out that "although there are laws in most provinces and they are standardized, there are critical points in their application and control and the lack of implementation of good agricultural practices."

In this situation the creation of the Federal Program for Strengthening Local Pesticide Control Systems (PROFORPLAG) was proposed, but "there was no evidence of implementation nor had advance."

Also, there is no improvement in the development of a National Legislation regulating the use of agrochemicals.

Regarding integrated management which covers the whole life cycle of the products and their packaging, Group Four "has not designed nor implemented a National Program." There also isn’t a bill that emphasizes management of chemicals "including transportation, storage and disposal of both the substance and its packaging."

On the containers, the AGN observed that "a regulation governing the labeling, material type, use and disposal was not created."

Finally, Working Group Five is responsible for carrying out the actions on the ground through the analysis and consideration of complaints received and monitoring them.

To make claims, the Ministry of Health enabled the 0800-345-0044 but "the publicity given to the number and if a consultation mechanism for its operations within the country implemented is unknown."

There was no diagnosis of the initial situation and the places where there were lawsuits. Also there isn’t a national map with the contaminated sites or remediation schedules.

The records reported by the Health Ministry on its website and reported to the AGN "differ", while 41 records were seen, 76 were found online.

Of the records that the Watchdog had access to, the "track cases, interviews with complainants and municipal or communal authorities and the presentation of conclusions and recommendations" are highlighted. However, when auditors traveled to the province of Chaco, the complainants stated that "the Agency had no answers for their complaints and do not even know what state they are in."