Published: 10:35am, 8 Mar, 2017 Updated: 2:55pm, 20 Jul, 2018
Global food producers deny the harm their products cause and encourages unethical marketing and lobbying to get around restrictions on their use , according to a UN report . It alleges an estimated 200,000 deaths a year are caused by acute poisoning and claims the link between pesticide poisoning and eradication of disease is " a myth " . Additionally , the report accuses corporations of " aggressive , unethical marketing practices " , " systematic denial of harms " and the obstruction of reforms and global pesticide reductions with heavy lobbying . A global transition towards safer and healthier food and agriculture production is required , according to the authors .