Pesticides are poisons designed to kill unwanted plants and pests that attack crops. As this story illustrates, these poisons can also be dangerous to people. The Centre National de Recherche Agronomique in Ivory Coast has found that 65 per cent of illnesses among people who produce vegetables, mangos, and cotton are related to pesticides. The number may be as high as 75 per cent in rebel controlled areas. In this story, the increased risk is related to the closure of farm supply stores. Pesticides that farmers know how to use are currently unavailable, and available pesticides may be more toxic or mislabeled. At the same time, pesticide safety outreach programs have been suspended.
For more information on pesticide use, and on initiatives to improve pesticide safety in West Africa please see the following:
-“Senegal: Toxic vegetables for sale,” a recent article from the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks: http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=77073
-Website of the West Africa Pesticides Program (we recommend the Photos and FAQ sections for information on problems and solutions): http://www.wapp.biochem.vt.edu/
-Overview of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture’s program “Safe vegetables for peri-urban West Africa,” including an overview of the issue of pesticide use on market vegetables: http://www.iita.org/cms/details/agric_health_project_details.aspx?newsid=266&rid=66509&pg=o&activity=Agriculture%20and%20health&mainzoneid=64
-“West African rice farmers explore alternatives to cheap, dangerous insecticides,” an article by the Rodale Institute, an American NGO that promotes organic farming: http://www.newfarm.org/international/features/2007/0907/burkinafaso/krupnik.shtml
Of course, these issues are of concern to all farmers, their communities, and those who consume their products. By sharing one or more of the following scripts with your listeners, you can help farmers who use pesticides to protect themselves and others:
-“Protect your health and the community from agricultural pesticides and fertilizers” (Package 83, Script 4, March 2008)
-“Pesticide accumulation: a chain of poison” (Package 72, Script 11, September 2004)
-“Protect children from pesticides” (Package 69, Script 9, December 2003)
-“Pesticide safety: radio spots” (Package 50, Script 9, November 1998)
Farmers in your area may also be interested in the following scripts that discuss ways to reduce or eliminate dependence on chemical pesticides:
-“Radio spots: can you control pests without pesticides?” (Package 72, Script 3, September 2004)
-“Reduce pests naturally with biological pest control” (Package 72, Script 4, September 2004)
-“What is integrated pest management” (Package 52, Script 3, May 1999)
-“Biological pest control: reduce pests naturally” (Package 36, Script 6, April 1995)
Lastly, here is an idea for further radio programming about pest management:
-Step 1: Host a call-in or text-in show inviting farmers to describe the insects, diseases and weeds they manage in their fields, and the control methods that they find most effective.
-Step 2: Visit Farm Radio International’s archive of scripts on pest management (http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/pest.asp) to see if there is a script about one of the common pest problems in your area.
-Step 3: If there is a relevant script, broadcast it. Consider inviting a farmer, extension officer, or other expert to the studio for a follow-up interview on how techniques described in the script can be adapted to local conditions. (Or, you could do the interview in advance and adapt the script to include it.)
-Step 4: If there is not a relevant Farm Radio International script, conduct research on solutions to the pest problem. Again, you may consider inviting one or more experts to discuss which methods work best in your area.
