Health concerns rise over use of toxic chemicals by Cambodian farmers
Cambodia has seen a spike in the demand for food in recent years due to growing population and rising incomes. To respond to the rising demand, farmers in the country have increased the use of pesticides, some of which are illegal, to boost agricultural production.
But experts are raising concerns and warnings about the negative long-term health effects of the use of these toxic chemicals, which include immune system disruption, an impaired nervous system and the development of certain types of cancer, among other things.
The hazardous substances are not just used by farmers either. They are also used by retailers to ensure the fruits and vegetables retain their fresh look for a longer period, as desired by Cambodians.
In an interview with an international news agency, SiengHuy, execute director of the Cambodian Chemical Society (CCS), said that banned substances like sodium hydrosulfite and borax, known in Khmer as msaosor and tekansar, are used to maintain the fresh appearance of popular food items like chopped palm fruits, gingers and lemongrasses.
These chemicals are predominantly used by farmers to increase food yields, and they stringently oppose any measures aimed at curbing their usage.
Agriculture plays an important role in the Southeast Asian nation’s economy, accounting for about 37% of GDP and providing employment to around two-thirds of the total labor force, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a UN body.
The Cambodian government has found it difficult to act and stop the farmers from using pesticides, according to the country’s Agriculture Minister VengSakhon.
Many pesticides used in Cambodia also fail to meet international quality standards and unregulated imports of many banned chemicals are readily available in the country, say critics.
Cambodia also imports vast amounts of agrochemicals from its neighbors Vietnam and Thailand. While all of them have to be inspected by officials to prevent the import of illegal substances, the agriculture minister said it’s not possible to guarantee that no illegal pesticides will enter the country, “as they can be smuggled into the country without the knowledge of the authorities.”
Many pesticides found in the shelves of Cambodian shops are labeled in foreign languages like Thai and Vietnamese, which results to improper or excessive use.
Experts are now calling for the labels to be made available in the local Khmer language and for the farmers to be educated about the ill-effects caused by the rampant use of pesticides.
Critics also say that concrete action on the part of the government to counter the problem is missing even though there is enough public support for taking anti-pesticide measures.Nevertheless, Cambodia’s government has been encouraging the use of biopesticides to ensure the quality and safety of the nation’s food products. However, their use still remains very limited.
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