26/06/2026 10:16 - Judiciales
In a landmark ruling that sparks debate about environmental responsibility and state control in Argentina's agricultural heartland, the Federal Oral Court No. 2 of Rosario acquitted seven agricultural producers charged with contamination from agrochemical spraying in Pergamino, while convicting two municipal officials for failing to fulfill their public duties.
The verdict was read at noon on Thursday, June 25, 2026 by judges Román Lanzón, Eduardo Rodríguez, and Elena Dilario, who had to resolve a case initiated by residents affected in their health by aerial spraying near urban areas.
Pergamino is a city located in the northern part of Buenos Aires Province, approximately 295 km from Buenos Aires City, in the heart of Argentina's agricultural region known as the "Pampas." Argentina is one of the world's largest exporters of soybeans, corn, and wheat, and the use of agrochemicals—particularly glyphosate—has been a subject of intense national debate for over two decades.
The magistrates stated categorically that phytosanitary products contaminate and cause health damage, with serious scientific studies supporting that living near sprayed fields carries risks. However, they determined that under current criminal legislation, the crime of environmental contamination was not proven against the accused because their intention to cause harm (known legally as "dolo" or criminal intent) was not established, nor was a direct violation of specific application norms proven.
The following producers and applicators were acquitted of all charges:
Officials from Pergamino's Rural Environment Department were convicted:
Convicted for failure to fulfill duties as public officials.
The judges explained that the conviction of the officials was based on the fact that there were "countless alerts from the affected population that should have been addressed" but were not. They noted that it was not simply negligence, but an absence of controls by the municipality.
Ironically, this lack of official verification of the facts was what prevented, according to the tribunal, convicting the producers, as the exact normative violation at the precise moment of applications could not be conclusively proven.
"A criminal judge is not a superhero who solves all problems... they must limit themselves to enforcing existing law."
The judges clarified that those convicted are "the lowest links in the chain of responsibility" within the municipality and requested investigation into the actions of Pergamino's mayor during the years when the events occurred.
The tribunal proposed creating a "roundtable dialogue" among producers, politicians, and affected residents to seek sustainable regulations. They emphasized that precautionary measures cannot last forever and that it is necessary to legislate on an activity that generates evident problems in nearby populations, waterways, and soils.
Argentina adopted genetically modified soybeans in the 1990s, which led to a massive expansion of agricultural frontiers. The "soy model" transformed the country's economy but also generated conflicts over pesticide use near towns and cities. Court cases like this one in Pergamino have set precedents about how environmental responsibility should be distributed between private actors and the state.
Source: Rosario3
Alfredo S. Quiroga
