France now considers prostate cancer caused by exposure to pesticides in agriculture as an occupational disease. Farmers no longer need to prove the link between their illness and exposure to chemicals themselves. Ten years ago, France already recognized Parkinson's Disease as an occupational disease in agriculture.
The condition is that agricultural workers have been exposed to the pesticide for at least ten years and that the cancer develops no later than forty years after contact. The French legislator attributes the increased risk of illness not to one specific active substance, but more generally to repeated exposure to crop protection products. Exposure is understood to include direct contact with the substances, inhalation, or contact with treated crops.
French Minister of Agriculture Julien Denormandie had already promised recognition of prostate cancer at the end of October in the presence of agricultural officials. Those involved can now apply for sickness benefits at their social security fund. The decree applies to all agricultural workers, but is especially important for all residents of the French Caribbean islands Guadeloupe and Martinique.