Background

Ascenza is a Portuguese agrochemical company. Founded in 1926 as Sapec Agro, the company became Ascenza in November 2018 and is owned by Portuguese agricultural solutions group Rovensa.¹“SAPEC AGRO rebrands as ASCENZA,” Ascenza, November 28, 2018. Archived January 31, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/eaXyf 

Rovensa states that the common mission of its companies is “feeding the world through a sustainable and healthy agriculture,” because it states the world is “facing an exponential growth of nutrition challenges, due to overpopulation, climate changes and declining of planet resources”.²“About Us,” Rovensa. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/a6TdC 

According to its Portuguese website, Ascenza states that its mission is to help feed the world’s growing population. The company operates in nine markets in Europe and South America.³“Quem somos,” Ascenza Portugal. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yI9nj  ⁴“What We Do,” Rovensa. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Fq1pa 

Ascenza is a member of the European Crop Care Association (ECCA), an association of small- and medium-sized European manufacturers of “plant protection products” including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and growth regulators.⁵“Members,” European Crop Care Association. Archived April 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ombhf 

Previously, Ascenza was a member of the Glyphosate Task Force, the predecessor to the Glyphosate Renewal Group, a group of organizations lobbying for the European Union (EU) to renew its approval to authorize the use of glyphosate, a key ingredient in pesticide products.⁶“Glyphosate Task Force: NGO Activists Ignore One of the Largest and Most Thorough Evaluations of an Active Substance Conducted to Date, in an Attempt to Politicise a Scientific Process,” BusinessWire. Archived November 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PImrb

Stance on Climate Change

On its Portuguese website, Ascenza claims that its activities can “help the planet address exponential population growth and the resulting food challenges, as well as climate change and depletion of natural resources.”⁷“Quem somos,” Ascenza Portugal. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yI9nj 

In September 2021, Ascenza launched two social media campaigns named “Farming your Future” and “Because we care”. As part of the campaign, Ascenza tweeted: “Growers face new challenges and climate changes and they must constantly adapt to new consumer needs.​ At ASCENZA, our bio protection portfolio fits customer needs and that is also why we recently launched it. That’s what we do. Because we care.”⁸“Growers face new challenges and climate changes and they must constantly adapt to new consumer needs.​ At ASCENZA, our bio protection portfolio fits customer needs and that is also why we recently launched it. That’s what we do. Because we care. #farmingyourfuture #ascenza,” Tweet by user @AscenzaCorp, October 28, 2021. Retrieved from twitter.com. Archived November 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/3oaVp 

The campaign has also claimed that its products have “low environmental impact” to meet the needs of an “even more sustainable agriculture.”⁹“We invest in a product portfolio with low environmental impact, meeting the needs of an even more sustainable agriculture.​ We develop solutions with high quality standards, which comply with the planet’s most demanding regulations. That’ s what we do. Because we care. #ascenza,” Tweet by user @AscenzaCorp, October 28, 2021. Retrieved from twitter.com. Archived November 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/99elB

Legal Action

On February 10, 2020, Ascenza and Spanish agrochemicals company Industrias Afrasa brought legal action against the European Commission at the EU Court of Justice, with the goal of reversing the EU’s decision to ban chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl.¹⁰“Ascenza Agro and Industrias Afrasa v Commission Case T-77/20,” InfoCuria. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/icBCc 

In June 2020, environmental news website ENDSEurope reported that Ascenza and Industrias Afrasa had put forward arguments to support their case. They alleged that the Commission was wrong to apply a “read-across” of the genotoxicity, neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity of chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-ethyl and assume that the same concerns applied to chlorpyrifos-methyl.¹¹Simon Pickstone. “​​Pesticides: Campaigners call for voice in legal challenge to chlorpyrifos ban,” ENDSEurope, June 10, 2020. Archived September 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QCOgL 

Chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl are insecticides used to control insect pests on a range of crops, and chlorpyrifos-methyl is also used to treat stored cereal grain and empty warehouses, according to the European Commission.¹²“Chlorpyrifos & Chlorpyrifos-methyl,” European Commission. Archived August 27, 2021. Archive URL: ​​https://archive.ph/1CE1K  

Invented by Dow, chlorpyrifos-methyl has been used as an active substance in pesticides since 1966.¹³“Omicron-pyridyl phosphates and phosphorothioates,” Google Patents. Archived November 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/pRfOU

Pesticides using chlorpyrifos-methyl have been predominantly used to combat emerging pests in citrus production. These pests have been spreading within Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece since 2014.¹⁴Paul Rees. “Citrus Bug Sweeps Through Portugal Causing Concern In Spain,” Algarve Daily News. Archived September 5, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vTcjS 

According to a 2019 investigation by EUObserver headlined “The most dangerous pesticide you’ve never heard of,” scientists have said that there is no dose of chlorpyrifos that is safe for human health and that the chemical’s “poisonous effect” on insects is “not disputed”.¹⁵Staffan Dahlöff. “The most dangerous pesticide you’ve never heard of,” EUObserver, June 17, 2019. Archived November 5, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/NTo6V 

Despite these warnings, the chemical is among those most frequently found in unprocessed food produced and consumed in Europe.¹⁶Claudia Delpero. “Campaigners call for EU to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos,” ENDS Europe. Archived November 30, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/T0Tns 

According to a study by environmental campaign group Pesticide Action Network Europe, chlorpyrifos residues can be found in more than one in three sampled grapefruits (39 percent) and lemons (36 percent), and one in four sampled oranges (29 percent) and mandarins (25 percent). Spain is one of the European member states with the most wide-spread use of the chemical, which is partly produced by Spanish company Industrias Afrasa.¹⁷“New overview of data on chlorpyrifos residues in fruits strengthens health-case for EU-wide ban,” Pesticide Action Network Europe, June 19, 2019. Archived October 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/dFsGb ¹⁸“Chlorpyrifos residues in fruits: The case for a Europe-wide ban to protect consumers,” Health and Environment Alliance, Pesticide Action Network Europe, June 2019. Archived September 19, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ij5pb

Concerns about chlorpyrifos-methyl related to developmental neurotoxicity, as well as the potential to cause DNA damage (genotoxicity), were also supported by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) statements in mid-2019.¹⁹“Statement on the available outcomes of the human health assessment in the context of the pesticides peer review of the active substance chlorpyrifos-methyl,” European Food Safety Authority. August 28, 2021. Archived February 15, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UQbcJ 

In November 2019, France24 reported that Spanish citrus farmers were worried by the upcoming ban on chlorpyrifos. An interviewed farmer, Bernardo Ferrer, utilizing Ascenza’s product said it “was vital to tackle pests,” and that the EU was forcing farmers to work “with our hands and feet tied, because we can’t tackle any of the pests.” Although it was not mentioned in the report, Ferrer is the vice president of the Valencian Farmers organisation AVA-Asaja, which has previously organized events with Bayer, one of the largest agribusinesses in the world.²⁰Sarah Morris, Anaïs Guérard, Constance Meyer, and Maxime Rousseau. “Pesticide problem: Spanish citrus farmers worried by upcoming ban on chlorpyrifos,” France24, November 4, 2019. Archived August 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/c1ZH6  ²¹“Bayer y AVA-ASAJA organizan el martes en València el Foro de Sostenibilidad para analizar con el sector los retos del futuro de la agricultura​​,” Agronews Comunitat Valenciana. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DpE5i 

In December 2019, EU member states voted that they would no longer permit use of  chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl after January 31, 2020. ²²“Chlorpyrifos & Chlorpyrifos-methyl,” European Commission. Archived August 27, 2021. Archive URL: ​​https://archive.ph/1CE1K  

On June 10, 2020, HEAL – the Health and Environment Alliance – requested the right to intervene in the case in support of banning chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl. As of December 1, 2021, the case was still in progress at the European Court of Justice, meaning that the substance can still be used. ²³“HEAL requests intervention in industry legal challenge of European non-renewal of chlorpyrifos-methyl,” Health and Environment Alliance, June 10, 2020. Archived 25 November 2021, Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/HJtO0  ²⁴“Ascenza Agro and Industrias Afrasa v Commission Case T-77/20,” InfoCuria. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/icBCc 

Lobbying

As of November 2021, Ascenza was not registered with the European Lobby Register. 

According to the EU Transparency Register profile of EU Focus, a Brussels-based political consultancy firm, Ascenza paid the company between €10,000 – €24,999 in 2019. According to the profile, the same consultancy received funds from other agrichemical companies and industry groups, including between €10,000 – €24,999 from Industrias Afrasa; €50,000 – €99,999 from the Mancozeb Task Force, Syngenta group; €100,000 – €199,99 from UPL, and €200,000- €299,999 from Sumitomo.²⁵“EU Focus,” European Transparency Register. Archived November 18, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/COWxP

The Mancozeb Task Force is a group that includes UPL and is lobbying for the extension of the approval of the fungicide mancozeb, which has been linked to toxic effects in both humans and animals. Currently it is due to be phased out of use in the EU in January 2022.²⁶“UPL Europe and Indofil Industries challenge Commission’s non-renewal of mancozeb: action published,” AgNews, April 12, 2021. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uFn50  ²⁷“Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance mancozeb,” European Food Safety Authority. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5755 Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sIxSf 

Affiliations

Ascenza Agro is a member of the European Crop Care Association (ECCA), an association of small- and medium-sized European manufacturers of “plant protection products” including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and growth regulators.²⁸“Members,” European Crop Care Association. Archived April 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ombhf 

Ascenza Agro was part of the Glyphosate Task Force, the predecessor to the Glyphosate Renewal Group, a group of organizations lobbying for the European Union to renew its approval for glyphosate, a key ingredient in pesticide products.

In 2020, Ascenza worked with Spanish agrichemicals company and ECCA member Industrias Afrasa to bring legal action against the European Commission at the EU Court of Justice with the goal of reversing the Commission’s decision to ban the active substance chlorpyrifos-methyl, which both companies currently use in their pesticides formulations.²⁹“Glyphosate Task Force: NGO Activists Ignore One of the Largest and Most Thorough Evaluations of an Active Substance Conducted to Date, in an Attempt to Politicise a Scientific Process,” BusinessWire. Archived November 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PImrb ³⁰“Ascenza Agro and Industrias Afrasa v Commission Case T-77/20,” InfoCuria. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/icBCc

Resources

• 1
  “SAPEC AGRO rebrands as ASCENZA,” Ascenza, November 28, 2018. Archived January 31, 2019. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/eaXyf 
• 2
  “About Us,” Rovensa. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/a6TdC 
• 3
  “Quem somos,” Ascenza Portugal. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yI9nj 
• 4
  “What We Do,” Rovensa. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Fq1pa 
• 5
  “Members,” European Crop Care Association. Archived April 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ombhf 
• 6
  “Glyphosate Task Force: NGO Activists Ignore One of the Largest and Most Thorough Evaluations of an Active Substance Conducted to Date, in an Attempt to Politicise a Scientific Process,” BusinessWire. Archived November 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PImrb
• 7
  “Quem somos,” Ascenza Portugal. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/yI9nj 
• 8
  “Growers face new challenges and climate changes and they must constantly adapt to new consumer needs.​ At ASCENZA, our bio protection portfolio fits customer needs and that is also why we recently launched it. That’s what we do. Because we care. #farmingyourfuture #ascenza,” Tweet by user @AscenzaCorp, October 28, 2021. Retrieved from twitter.com. Archived November 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/3oaVp 
• 9
  “We invest in a product portfolio with low environmental impact, meeting the needs of an even more sustainable agriculture.​ We develop solutions with high quality standards, which comply with the planet’s most demanding regulations. That’ s what we do. Because we care. #ascenza,” Tweet by user @AscenzaCorp, October 28, 2021. Retrieved from twitter.com. Archived November 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/99elB
• 10
  “Ascenza Agro and Industrias Afrasa v Commission Case T-77/20,” InfoCuria. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/icBCc 
• 11
  Simon Pickstone. “​​Pesticides: Campaigners call for voice in legal challenge to chlorpyrifos ban,” ENDSEurope, June 10, 2020. Archived September 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/QCOgL 
• 12
  “Chlorpyrifos & Chlorpyrifos-methyl,” European Commission. Archived August 27, 2021. Archive URL: ​​https://archive.ph/1CE1K  
• 13
  “Omicron-pyridyl phosphates and phosphorothioates,” Google Patents. Archived November 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/pRfOU
• 14
  Paul Rees. “Citrus Bug Sweeps Through Portugal Causing Concern In Spain,” Algarve Daily News. Archived September 5, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/vTcjS 
• 15
  Staffan Dahlöff. “The most dangerous pesticide you’ve never heard of,” EUObserver, June 17, 2019. Archived November 5, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/NTo6V 
• 16
  Claudia Delpero. “Campaigners call for EU to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos,” ENDS Europe. Archived November 30, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/T0Tns 
• 17
  “New overview of data on chlorpyrifos residues in fruits strengthens health-case for EU-wide ban,” Pesticide Action Network Europe, June 19, 2019. Archived October 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/dFsGb
• 18
  “Chlorpyrifos residues in fruits: The case for a Europe-wide ban to protect consumers,” Health and Environment Alliance, Pesticide Action Network Europe, June 2019. Archived September 19, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ij5pb
• 19
  “Statement on the available outcomes of the human health assessment in the context of the pesticides peer review of the active substance chlorpyrifos-methyl,” European Food Safety Authority. August 28, 2021. Archived February 15, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UQbcJ 
• 20
  Sarah Morris, Anaïs Guérard, Constance Meyer, and Maxime Rousseau. “Pesticide problem: Spanish citrus farmers worried by upcoming ban on chlorpyrifos,” France24, November 4, 2019. Archived August 8, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/c1ZH6 
• 21
  “Bayer y AVA-ASAJA organizan el martes en València el Foro de Sostenibilidad para analizar con el sector los retos del futuro de la agricultura​​,” Agronews Comunitat Valenciana. Archived November 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DpE5i 
• 22
  “Chlorpyrifos & Chlorpyrifos-methyl,” European Commission. Archived August 27, 2021. Archive URL: ​​https://archive.ph/1CE1K  
• 23
  “HEAL requests intervention in industry legal challenge of European non-renewal of chlorpyrifos-methyl,” Health and Environment Alliance, June 10, 2020. Archived 25 November 2021, Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/HJtO0 
• 24
  “Ascenza Agro and Industrias Afrasa v Commission Case T-77/20,” InfoCuria. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/icBCc
• 25
  “EU Focus,” European Transparency Register. Archived November 18, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/COWxP
• 26
  “UPL Europe and Indofil Industries challenge Commission’s non-renewal of mancozeb: action published,” AgNews, April 12, 2021. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/uFn50 
• 27
  “Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance mancozeb,” European Food Safety Authority. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.5755 Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sIxSf
• 28
  “Members,” European Crop Care Association. Archived April 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ombhf 
• 29
  “Glyphosate Task Force: NGO Activists Ignore One of the Largest and Most Thorough Evaluations of an Active Substance Conducted to Date, in an Attempt to Politicise a Scientific Process,” BusinessWire. Archived November 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PImrb
• 30
  “Ascenza Agro and Industrias Afrasa v Commission Case T-77/20,” InfoCuria. Archived November 10, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/icBCc