Improving food security against pesticides

June 6, 2009

We saw about the need for pesticides in the previous post. Many environment questions plagued and led to the eventual banning of DDT, once revered for its wide impact and persistence, the very reasons why it leaves long-term residues in the soil. This led to an FAO-WHO committee laying down the norms for fixing MRLS (maximum residual limit) and accepted dietary intake for pesticides. A few experts say that all modern pesticides disseminate and degrade very fast. The problem arises when farmers spray pesticides and additives at the final stage to increase shelf – life and buyer – appeal of their produce. The time lag between the final spray and the harvesting is important; it’s the joint responsibility of the agricultural extension officers and pesticide manufacturers to educate the farmer. Chemical pesticides will have a definite role to play in ensuring food and nutritional security. And they are safe if sprayed at regular intervals. To sum up, we need to keep our eyes open and not jump with every scary report. A little healthy doubt would go a long way towards physical wellness.