Key messages:

•  As agriculture commercializes, pesticide use is increasing, and with it negative impacts to human health and the environment.
• Kham District is an example of brown commercial agriculture, where low value extensive commodity production depends on high pesticide use. After a few years, this system becomes less and less profitable for farmers. Thathom District banned pesticides entirely, which is only possible because there is less commercial agriculture in the district.
•  District governments can support greener agriculture and better pesticide management with a systematic approach. A ban on pesticide alone will have limited impact.
• Reactive policies can reduce human and environmental impacts including:
  • Enforcement of existing law and regulations on pesticide import, sale and use, including in foreign investments in agriculture.
  • Using community risk reduction guidelines to move from individual action such as protective gear use, to community agreements on not spraying near water sources, homes and schools.
  • Supporting MAF and MoNRE efforts for safe pesticide container disposal.
  • Training on harvest timing after spraying, proper quantities and integrated pest management to reduce residues on vegetables.
• Proactive options can support more green commercialization including:
  • Improving the efficiency of market systems by enforcing fair contracts, reducing tax burdens, access to credit, and supporting crop storage and processing infrastructure.
  • Support for crop diversification with technical advice and small infrastructure such as irrigation ponds, village processing facilities.
  • Green extension approaches like farmer to farmer training.
  • Support for organic and GAP certifications, with easier group development, and transparent, efficient certification processes to promote market trust.
• Furthermore, there is a need for a multi-stakeholder approach – different actors have different roles to play including agriculture, education, health, industry, the private sector and aid organizations.

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Source: Department of Policy and Legal Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry