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Nemagon is a virulent pesticide that was used on banana plantations in Nicaragua, other countries in Central America, in the Caribbean, and in the Philippines. It is derived from debromochloropropane (DBCP) and kills a microscopic worm which inhibits the production and damages the appearance of bananas.
Though banned in the U.S. since 1979 because workers in the plants manufacturing the product were found to be sterile, Nemagon was exported throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s to banana producing nations like Nicaragua. Standard Fruit (Dole in the U.S.), Del Monte, and United Fruit (now Chiquita) were some of the companies that sprayed Nemagon on their crops of bananas. The pesticide was produced by Dow Chemical, Shell Oil, Occidental and others.
A Nicaraguan court ruled on December 11, 2002, that Dow, Shell and Dole had to pay US$490 million to affected banana workers from the Department of Chinandega, but the companies have yet to pay one cent to the plaintiffs.
The Association of workers and formers workers with claims against Nemagon has been set up by a victim for helping the workers from the banana sector to get justice.
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