Pesticide Risk Reduction
Pesticides are poisons which can have impacts on workers, as well as wider environmental impacts. They can get anywhere - in water, soil, air and into our bodies.
Pesticide control varies enormously. In Europe there are laws on use, and in UK every sprayer must have a certificate of competence to spray. Yet in other parts of the world, people use pesticides banned elesewhere.
Systems to control pesticide risks that have been developed in EU may be a good, but the lack of Extension Services (Agricultural Advisory bodies) in Africa/Asia mean that many of these control measures are not carried out properly.
Retail supply chains now make more demands about pesticide use - often going beyond minimal legal requirements (eg Co-operative Retail). It may be that more can be made of these to improve controls.
We can use the new EU Directive as a guide, where verybody in supply chain should have "access to training". Have a look at the training requirements of new EU "Sustainable USe" Directive, which includes what symptoms to look for, and what alternatives could be used.
