Health hazarding vegetables
Friday, 5 October 2007
WINTER time is near and this is the best time of the year in Bangladesh for consumption of vegetables. The supply of vegetables in the winter time is found to be particularly good in terms of price and variety. Health conscious people in the country are also more and more taking an interest to replace meats in their diets with vegetables. Therefore, at a time when consumption of vegetables in the country are clearly on the rise, it indeed comes as disappointing that vegetable producers and their handlers at different levels in the distribution chain continue to resort to large scale use of pesticides in the fields to preserve the vegetables and at secondary levels the handlers are using various chemicals to artificially lend colour or appearance of freshness to such vegetables.
Both the insecticides and chemicals can be highly toxic . They make the vegetables ( on which these are applied) toxic. Thus, in this manner toxic substances enter the human food chain as consumption of such vegetables by humans means passage of the toxins into human bodies. Regular entry of toxins in human bodies can cause many deadly diseases including cancer and failures of vital organs like kidneys and livers.
In this context , it is important to launch a vigorous drive for persuading the farmers not to use pesticides but to go for natural ways of pest control. Action has also to be taken against vegetable sellers so that they do not spray chemicals on vegetables considering the health hazarding aspects of such practice.
The relevant authorities should take timely measures to safeguard public health from the threat posed by poisoned vegetables. Recently, reports have been published to the effect that the European Commission (EC) have notified the Bangladesh authorities that no export of vegetables to the EC countries from Bangladesh would be allowed if the same are not produced through organic farming.
Organic farming involves producing crops naturally with the least or no use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The EC countries are now extending duty-free entry of Bangladeshi products, specially agri-products. Many exporters in Bangladesh have been also planning to exploit this opportunity and increase exports. But they should now get busy with ensuring that the farmers actually produce safe vegetables by practising organic farming.
Abdur Rahim
Uttara, Dhaka
Both the insecticides and chemicals can be highly toxic . They make the vegetables ( on which these are applied) toxic. Thus, in this manner toxic substances enter the human food chain as consumption of such vegetables by humans means passage of the toxins into human bodies. Regular entry of toxins in human bodies can cause many deadly diseases including cancer and failures of vital organs like kidneys and livers.
In this context , it is important to launch a vigorous drive for persuading the farmers not to use pesticides but to go for natural ways of pest control. Action has also to be taken against vegetable sellers so that they do not spray chemicals on vegetables considering the health hazarding aspects of such practice.
The relevant authorities should take timely measures to safeguard public health from the threat posed by poisoned vegetables. Recently, reports have been published to the effect that the European Commission (EC) have notified the Bangladesh authorities that no export of vegetables to the EC countries from Bangladesh would be allowed if the same are not produced through organic farming.
Organic farming involves producing crops naturally with the least or no use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The EC countries are now extending duty-free entry of Bangladeshi products, specially agri-products. Many exporters in Bangladesh have been also planning to exploit this opportunity and increase exports. But they should now get busy with ensuring that the farmers actually produce safe vegetables by practising organic farming.
Abdur Rahim
Uttara, Dhaka