Chemical Pesticides and Human Health: Urgency for a New Agricultural Concept

Since the past few years, there have been some critical changes in the agricultural sector, with the introduction of mechanization. It has lead to increased use of chemicals, destroying the ecosystem and imposing severe risks for human health as well. Hence, this review focuses on the urgent need for a new concept in agriculture involving a drastic reduction in the utilization of chemical pesticides.

What are pesticides?

Pesticides are used to boost the activities of farmers and agriculturalists by protecting human-life and plants from multiple diseases. Various Insecticides and Pesticides are associated with health and environmental issues and due to their extreme effects; some pesticides have been even banned.

Their negative impacts outweigh the positive

Yes, they do – although they are designed to benefit plants and aid in making the land more fertile, their adverse effects outweigh the positive, especially when It comes to human life and its association with ecology. Traces of Insecticide and Pesticide residues have been found in a great variety of every foods and beverage – cooked meals, water, juices, refreshments and animal food. They have penetrated inside human body usually through skin, ingestion or inhalation. Types of pesticides, the duration, and route of exposure matters also have an adverse outcome on health.

Hence, a robust ecological approach can lead to the development of more innovative ideas, flexible agriculture reforms and sovereignty in food production and its practice too. So, more than ever, it has become obvious that there is a need for having a new concept in agriculture, directed towards safety for the food we eat and the environment we live in as well. It is like finding a middle way in the desert.

Moving towards cleaner and safer agricultural practices

The current practices in agriculture are very harmful to the natural environment and are daily inflicting health risks to humans, wildlife and proliferating in marine life too. Therefore, this New Year 2018 requires an urgent, systematic, strategic approach, to take things in control. It is a shout out to all agriculturalists and a call to make preventive actions like developing a new concept against the poor usage of chemical pesticides, which is well-planned.

The following solutions can experiment with the correct use and allocation of time, money, efforts and resources.

Reduce the use of agrochemicals
Implementation of sustainable practices, in-line with the agri-reforms and performance
Environmental-friendly methods to reduce risks to public health
The usage of agro-chemicals should be cut-off, and they should be used when it is required or to be kept as a last resort – ‘when all else fails’ option.
The spatiotemporal variability and quality of soil and crop should be advanced.
Check for the danger of wind or flood damage that can take place.
Use of different techniques, tools, and machinery, sensor, global positioning systems, geographical twists can also be applied for the cleanup.

In an attempt to reduce the usage of chemical products, Insecticides, and Pesticides, and with the intention to implement these aforementioned practical ideas; environmental pollution, water pollution; health risks to human life and surroundings can be replaced with economic benefits – excellent for the long-run.