Caution about agrochemicals

Careless handling of agrochemicals, particularly pesticides, in developing countries like Bangladesh, continues to be a cause for concern. It appears that awareness-raising activities, if any, have not yet been good enough to make poison-users more cautious. Not very long ago, the World Bank itself had advised outreach programmes to educate users of pesticide, and thus limit the harm to themselves and the environment. This institution, after a survey of over 800 farmers of winter rice and growers of potato, bean, eggplant, cabbage, sugarcane and mango, shared some very disturbing findings with the media. More than 47 per cent of the farmers were using the chemicals far in excess of requirement, and only four per cent of them were formally trained in pesticide use or handling and storing them. Well over 87 per cent did not use any protective measures while handling the poisons. It is therefore no surprise that 54 per cent of the traders reported frequent health symptoms that were commonly associated with acute pesticide poisoning.
Organic farmers in the country have been quite vocal about the hazards, calling for a stop to both the trade and use of poisonous agrochemicals. Some such chemicals which belong to the banned 'dirty dozen' group, have been found to be still in use in Bangladesh, allegedly smuggled in from across the border. On several occasions in the past, excessive and indiscriminate use of a number of the 'dirtiest' pesticides, has been implicated as the cause of 'mysterious deaths' of both humans and animals, by fact-finding teams from the Bangladesh Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). In 2009, for example, at least three children and a number of domestic animals in Dhamrai died and as many as thirteen other children and some adults fell sick, in just one instance of pesticide poisoning. An awareness campaign was said to have been initiated soon after, in the two identified villages.
It is imperative that the government's relevant ministries and departments, comprising those of agriculture, environment, health and commerce, all come together to address this problem and institute long-term measures to eliminate the dangers of indiscriminate use of such agrochemicals. Apart from restricting their use as much as possible, it is would also be wise to encourage farmers to switch to IPM (Integrated Pest Management), which is the use of natural parasites and predators to control pests. Advocates of organic farming worldwide recommend IPM as the most viable alternative.
Apart from outright deaths from toxic overdose of pesticides there are long-term health effects that organic farmers have been warning against over the past quarter century or so. The deadliest pesticides can wreck the human body and mind -- the nervous, reproductive, immune systems and the brain itself. Pesticide residues are likely to turn up virtually everywhere in Bangladesh, in ground water and in foods, causing many adverse health effects of 'unknown' origins. It would be wise therefore to popularise integrated pest management (IPM) seriously -- making the most of biological interactions among and between different insects -- friends and foes -- and to stop the wholesale poisoning of the population and the environment. A return to the traditional rotation of crops is also highly recommended as it is said to disrupt the life cycle of diseases, insects and other pests. A five year study by the US National Academy of Sciences revealed in the late 1980s that alternative or organic farming -- with IPM and some judicious use of the least harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers -- is productive and profitable and the environment also benefits hugely.