("Farmers Market Gold ")
Rosmin Amjad
Date: Apr 15th 2010
Prof: Dr.Emccormick
Words: 1982
Peaches, Pesticides, and Migrant Farm Workers
When we go to the grocery store, we see a variety of fruits stacked on the shelves. These fruits did not just appear on the shelves. They were picked and packed with a great effort by the farm workers. Most of us buy the fruits from the stores not knowing where they come from and how they were grown. For example, peaches are one of the most delicious fruits of the summer. Due to their sweetness, pleasant aroma, and health benefits, they are one of the favorite fruits. Peaches are a good source of dietary fiber, which help to regulate the digestive system, clean the intestines, and combat cancer. But not many people know the truth behind their production. During the production of peaches the farm workers are exposed to pesticides. The purpose of using pesticide is to kill insects, weeds and diseases in plants. Studies show that the pesticides are very dangerous to the health of consumers and the farm workers. They are the cause of many diseases such as cancer, neurological effects, dizziness and many more. The use of these harmful pesticides should be banned and health of citizens as well as the farm workers should be considered.
Peaches are the only fruit that require a lot of pesticides to grow. These pesticides are injurious to workers’ health. Therefore, the use of these pesticides should be forbidden. The farm workers who get exposed to these pesticides can encounter many deadly diseases. Workers who mix and apply these pesticides suffer from chronic diseases. These pesticides can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, nervous system, and sometimes lead to the death of the person. Moreover, these pesticides have organophosphate, which are very harmful and poisonous. The pesticides used in the production of peaches can cause acute toxicity as well. “Organophosphate pesticides can result in acute toxicity characterized by headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, shock, respiratory failure, or in most severe cases, death” (King and Wheeler). One of the pesticides used in the production of peaches is Chlorpyfiros. An article states that Chlorpyfiros is the most common pesticide used indoors to kill termites, fleas, roaches and ants. (Welch and Cornwall). The pesticides being used in the production of peaches is a threat to the health of the farm workers. The pesticides are so dangerous that they can even lead to the death of the people: “Pesticide exposure is estimated to annually cause 313,000 cases of illness and 1000 deaths among farm workers” (King and Wheeler 214).
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a study done among 34 farm workers in July 1998 in Fresno County California, claims that the use of the pesticides gave symptoms and signs of illness. The following chart shows that 100% farm workers have problems with nervous system, 97% reported nausea, 82% reported muscle weakness and many other diseases.
TABLE 1. Symptoms and signs of pesticide intoxication among 34 farm workers --
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Symptom/Sign No.* (%)
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SYMPTOMS
Anxiey 1 ( 3)
Blurred vision 5 ( 15)
Cardiovascular 7 ( 21)
Cramping 15 ( 44)
Diaphoresis 5 (15)
Diarrhea 4 ( 12)
Dizziness 29 ( 85)
Eye 29 ( 85)
Gastrointestinal 33 ( 97)
Genitourinary 6 ( 18)
Headache 32 ( 94)
Irritation 29 ( 85)
Itching 8 ( 24)
Muscle weakness 28 ( 82)
Nausea 33 ( 97)
Nervous system 34 (100)
Respiratory 12 ( 35)
Runny nose 10 ( 29)
Skin 13 ( 38)
Tearing 23 ( 68)
Vomiting 27 ( 79)
Fresno County, California, July 1998
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* Because more than one symptom or sign may have been reported for any person, the sum of specific symptoms and signs may not total the number reported for the organ system as a whole.+ Heart rate & Respiratory rate (“Farm Worker Ilness”).
Despite this fact, federal and state agencies admit that, “Pesticides pose no threat” to the health of farm workers (Clarren). According to federal and state agencies there’s no reason to assume that the farmworkers are in danger. But neither the federal Environmental Protection Agency nor the state health agencies have done any research to investigate whether the statements they have given are actually true (Clarren). However, some non-profit organizations such as Farm Health and Safety Institute, National Center for Farm Health, Farmworker Justice, and United Farm Workers are working for migrant farm workers safety. They are developing programs to improve safety of migrant and seasonal farm workers. For instance, the Farm Health and Safety Institute organized an educational training program about how to mix and apply the pesticides safely and gave many safety tips to the farm workers (“Programs for Migrant Farm Workers”). The training included several safety tips, such as wearing clothes with long sleeves and long pants, shoes, socks, scarf, and gloves.
Moreover, children of the farm workers’ appear to have a high potential for pesticide exposure, particularly when their parents are engaged in activities such as pesticide mixing, application, and intensive hand labor in treated fields. A news report claims that peaches top the list of fruits with the maximum number of pesticides in them (“The Dirty Dozen”). They absorb a lot of pesticides and peaches are the worst of all conventional fruits. Since the peaches require more than one hundred pesticides to grow, the farm workers who are involved in the production of peaches and their families are at a great risk. For instance, when the workers use these pesticides, the residue is left on their hands, clothes, and shoes. When they return to their homes at night, they carry the entire residue with them to their homes. Especially children can come in contact with these toxins and get exposed very quickly because they play, move around and touch things very frequently:
“Children are more vulnerable than adults to effects of pesticides because they eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air per unit of body weight. Additionally, farmworkers’ children as young as 6 years old work in fields and others accompany parents into these areas because there are no viable day care options” (Protecting Farm Workers”).
Another important aspect is airborne pesticide drift. The California Air Resources Board states that when farm workers open the container of pesticides within eight to twenty four hours of application those pesticides turn from liquid to gas (Clarren). This is another cause of pesticide related illness in the families of farm workers. The Environmental Protection Agency has to take special steps to protect the children of farmworkers from agricultural chemicals. The use of hazardous pesticides should be eliminated for the safety of farm workers as well as their families.
Not only the farm workers but also our country’s health is in danger. When the use of the pesticides can make the field workers ill, so imagine how dangerous it would be for the people when they consume those highly toxic peaches. The Chicago Tribune claims that “More than 50 pesticide compounds showed up on domestic and imported peaches headed for U.S. stores. Five of the compounds exceeded the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency, and six of the pesticide compounds present are not approved for the use on peaches in the United States.” (Eng). The article also addresses that organic peaches are better than conventional peaches, especially for women who are pregnant. Many people think that peaches are good for health and consume them, but they are unaware of the truth and the harmful pesticides in the peaches. The government is responsible for people’s health. The government should ban the use of pesticides. But the EPA is disregarding the health of our country. The agency is ignoring the effects from exposure to pesticides: “The EPA's Web site is a study in contradictions when it comes to chlorpyrifos. At one section, it "acknowledged the special susceptibility and sensitivity of children to developmental and neurological effects from exposure to chlorpyrifos." But in another section, the agency reports that infants and children face no risk from eating food crops treated with chlorpyrifos. However, the agency doesn't say how it reached that conclusion. There is no agreement of how much of the neurotoxin is too much.” (Schneider). This is very tragic that the authorities in our country are not trustworthy.
In addition, the majority of these farm workers have no access to health care. The farm workers working in the peach farms are at a high risk of getting sick because they get the exposed to maximum number of pesticides. If a worker is covered by workers’ compensation then he or she can receive medical coverage. Emory University claims that the employers don’t provide farm workers any health care benefits (Gregg). Some of them don’t get any health benefits because they move around so much in search of employment. The director of Emory's Physician Assistant Program states that “Many farm workers won't see a doctor unless they are deathly ill. Farm workers are often paid by the amount they pick, so they're reluctant to take time out from work for routine health care" (Joslin). Another reason why they don’t have access to health care is language. Language is a barrier in their lives. Because the farm workers’ often can’t speak English, they are very fearful. The government should enforce the companies to provide the farm workers and their families with worker’s compensation, health insurance, sick leave, and pension.
It’s about time to address the issue of the pesticides being used in the production of peaches. The government should consider this issue and protect the health of the people by passing a law and imposing strict laws on the use of pesticides. They should eliminate the pesticides and grow good crops without using poison. Hygiene standards should be improved in the fields for farm workers, such as farmers should be forced to wear long-sleeved shirts, Long pants with pant legs over foot wear, Safety glasses, and gloves. The farm workers and their families should be given proper health care. The USDA should perform all the necessary tests on peaches before they are distributed in the stores. It’s about time to create a safe and healthy environment.
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