DBCP (Nemagon / Fumazone)

DBCP (dibromochloropropane), sold as Nemagon or Fumazone, was a nematocide used heavily on Central American banana plantations. Manufacturers Dow Chemical and Shell Chemical had internal exposure studies dating to the 1950s showing testicular atrophy and reduced sperm counts in animals, yet the chemical continued to be applied on plantations operated by Dole, Chiquita, and Fresh Del Monte even after DBCP was banned in the United States in 1979 due to worker sterility concerns. Thousands of Central American banana workers who used the chemical without protective equipment developed sterility and, they allege, cancer. A 2006 Nicaraguan court ordered Dow, Shell, and Dole to pay $805 million in damages, but the companies withdrew their assets from Nicaragua and the judgment was never enforced, leading affected workers to pursue enforcement action in French courts, most recently rejected on appeal in February 2026.