Bulb farm must stop using pesticides; Locals' health outweigh profits, court rules

The court in Assen has ordered a lily bulb grower in the Drents-Friese Wolde Leggelderveld area to stop using pesticides because they may be damaging local residents’ health. According to the court, locals’ health outweighs the interests of the flower grower’s profit in this case.

Several local residents and businesses sued the lily bulb grower over the pesticides it uses to protect its plants. They referred to American research showing a likely link between pesticides and neurological diseases like Parkison’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and ALS.

The flower farm argued that it would suffer 1.2 million euros in losses if it stopped spraying pesticides on its crops. The business also pointed to the measures it took to prevent harmful pesticides from spreading beyond its crops, including using 75 percent biocides and having dedicated zones where no pesticides are used.

The court noted the bulb grower’s efforts but concluded that they had not reduced the risk of harmful effects to an “acceptable minimum.” At the same time, " substantial research" indicates a link between pesticides and neurological disorders.

“However much the court is convinced of the goodwill of these growers to take as many measures as possible to prevent this, a potentially major risk to the health of local residents takes precedence over the higher profitability of lily cultivation,” the court ruled.