It is unfortunate that one of the most beautiful areas of the country is also one of the most toxic according to this article in La Prensa. " "In Cerro Punta people bathe daily with pesticides, exposing themselves to risk predictions reserved" he said. Carranza concerns that when people use agrochemicals is exposed to large doses of these hazardous substances."
And what of the people who consume these products? "Among
the pesticides that are seeking to ban lindane, paraquat, malathion and
carbofuran, widely used in agricultural production in the country,
especially in the highlands of Chiriqui, from which over 60% of
vegetables and vegetable consumed in Panama."
According to the article only 5% of the vegetables in Panama are organic because the farmers don't want to spend the money needed to produce them. And of course the consumer is not educated to the dangers in of eating these contaminated products and if they were, would they be able to afford them?
The state who allows these dangerous products into the country are also responsible for the health and well being of its citizens, spending a huge portion of their budget on health care. It would seem to me that the state should be offering incentives to farmers to produce a safe product which would be less costly in money and lives in the future.
La PrensaEighteen highly toxic pesticides, as import and use in the country had been banned for six months, are still legal tender in view of the strong Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) has not been signed.
In a letter dated 3 April this year, the Technical Working Group on Pesticides, composed of officials of the Measure and the Health Ministry, he notified the stakeholders (traders, producers and members of society) that the measure would be subject to consultation and that the period expired on Monday 27 April. Otherwise, be taken as approved content resolved.
This was not met. Raul Carranza, president of the Pesticide Action Network and Alternatives for Latin America, Chapter of Panama (RAPAL), said he does not understand why so late out of the market for these highly toxic substances that pose a health hazard and the environment.
Ariel Espino, director of Plant Protection Measure, claimed that the date was extended consultation because the parties involved have yet to comment, and confirmed that it still does not have a date for the signing of this resolved. While a commission was approved, this should go to consultation through international bodies.
Among the pesticides that are seeking to ban lindane, paraquat, malathion and carbofuran, widely used in agricultural production in the country, especially in the highlands of Chiriqui, from which over 60% of vegetables and vegetable consumed in Panama.
Only in the village of Cerro Punta sales of agrochemicals is valued at one million dollars annually, according to a study by Carranza, who also directs the Center for Studies of Biotic Resources, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University Technology Panama.
The study indicates that at Cerro Punta has eight of the 12 pesticides included in an international agreement that gives them the greatest number of deaths from acute poisoning.
"In Cerro Punta people bathe daily with pesticides, exposing themselves to risk predictions reserved" he said. Carranza concerns that when people use agrochemicals is exposed to large doses of these hazardous substances.
The expert added that the use of these pesticides can cause depression, nausea, vomiting, loss of orientation, cancer and even death.
From an average of thousand producers in the province of Chiriqui, specifically in Cerro Punta, only 5% organic farming works. This practice, although it is more healthy and environmentally friendly, unattractive to farmers because it requires more investment and labor. In addition, crops are slower to produce.
The country spends $ 30 million in pesticide imports annually. Measure Statistics show that per year the country imported 6.2 million grams of pesticides, of which 161 thousand 795 grams correspond to carbofuran.
Although it gets resolved to sign the Measure, agrochemicals remain outside the World Health Organization has classified as extremely dangerous, which are not used in other countries. Is the case of carbofuran, Tamaron and vidate, which are commonly used insecticides in the agricultural sector in Panama.
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