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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Anne Davies

How big pesticide reaches into every element of rural life in Australia

A wheat harvester in working on a field
Pesticide companies are deeply connected to rural Australia and provide 90% of the budget for the federal regulator, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Like “big pharma” the global agricultural chemical companies run very sophisticated marketing and sponsorship networks that reach into almost every facet of rural life.

The agvet companies, as they are known, are major financial partners – whether it’s funding for the conferences of agricultural organisations such as Cotton Australia and the National Farmers’ Federation, or for university research and specialist advisory organisations such as WeedSmart.

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