Dutch photographer Kadir van Lohuizen has captured the stories of people who were exposed to pesticides and later developed Parkinson's disease. Dutch newspaper Trouw highlighted his work this week. On Wednesday, October 15, the traveling exhibition "The Hidden Impact of Pesticides" opened on Wageningen Campus.
Van Lohuizen, known for his earlier photo series portraying the global horticultural industry, photographed nine people whose lives have been affected by pesticide exposure. The project was commissioned by ParkinsonNL, the Parkinson Vereniging, Natuur & Milieu, and the FNV trade union. The exhibition can be seen in Wageningen until the end of November and will then travel throughout the Netherlands for the next two years.
In Trouw, three participants share their stories: Nico Dirkzwager (78), Jacqueline Verdegaal (61), and Marcel Kuivenhoven (62).
Nico recalls picking tomatoes as a teenager, just like four of his five friends—four of whom have also developed Parkinson's in recent years. "We all came from different backgrounds and went on to do completely different jobs. But as teenagers, all five of us spent our summers picking tomatoes in local greenhouses to save up for a Tomos or a Puch moped."
Jacqueline grew up as the daughter of a flower bulb grower and remembers being around crop protection products from an early age. "I turned out to be the unlucky one in the family—the only one who developed Parkinson's," she says.
Marcel, who worked as a florist, also became ill. "I joined this project to raise awareness among florists. Know what passes through your hands. A single bouquet on the table won't make you sick, but we're constantly exposed to a buildup of pesticides. Wear latex gloves, wash your hands often. I don't blame the growers, they follow the law, but I do think it's important that we all know what's in these products."
The exhibition shines a light on the often unseen human consequences of pesticide use in agriculture, and aims to start a broader conversation about safety, awareness, and responsibility across the horticultural chain.
Source: Trouw (€)