By Olaleke ASHAFA
About 25 million workers in developing countries may suffer mild pesticides poisoning yearly, says Dr Olugbenga AdeOluwa, a don at the University of Ibadan, Oyo.
AdeOluwa, who disclos this on Tuesday in Abuja quoted the Pesticide Action Initiative’s Pesticide Action Network report of 2012.
According to the report, there are reported cases of 112 people poisoned by pesticide-contaminated food in 2008 in Nigeria.
Pesticide poisoning occurs when chemicals intended to control a pest affect non-target organisms such as humans, wildlife, or bees.
Pesticide poisoning may cause nausea, stomach cramps, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness, excessive sweating, chills, chest pains, difficult breathing, cramps, aches and may lead to death.
“When pesticides are applied to control pests and pathogens, only 15 per cent of the applied amount hits the target with the remaining 85 percent being distributed in soil and air.
“Synthetic inputs may be easy to use, but pose some dangers to the soil, the environment, the producers and the consumers in the long term.
“Chemicals or synthetic agricultural inputs do not only pollute the soil, but also pose hazards to ground water and the air as well’’.
According to him, “conventional agriculture has many negative effects or characteristics which pose a challenge with their continued use”.
“Pesticide residue in the soil can move from the surface when they dissolve in runoff water or percolate down through the soil and eventually reach the ground water.
“This is a great concern to experts in the field of toxicity.
“This is because underground water supply has become the most important source of water in urban areas and goes unnoticed despite receiving most of the pesticide pollution released into the environment,’’ he said.
AdeOluwa, who is also the Country Coordinator of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria, said that to convert from conventional to organic farming could take up to three years.
“Organic agriculture helps to lessen the green house effects through the fact that it promotes the retention of carbon in the soil.
“Organic foods have higher mineral and vitamins contents when compared to those produced using conventional techniques.’’
He called for a paradigm shift in agriculture to embrace organic farming for the health of humans, animals and the environment.
“There is, therefore, a need to explore alternatives to pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers and other non-ecofriendly agricultural inputs through the use of organic methods,’’ he added.
