This is a situation that is difficult to contend with where small-scale production is widespread and requires an integrated approach through education and farmer support. John Perfect, Deputy Director, NRI Chatham Maritime, Chatham. Rengam summarised the problems associated with pesticide use, including the effects on human health and the environment and increasing pesticide resistance. She also emphasized issues such as the availability of banned products and aggressive marketing by multinationals. Citizens associations involved in pesticide reform are very diverse, ranging from farmers to advocacy groups working at local, regional and international levels.
Campaigns often combine promoting sustainable agriculture with restricted pesticide use.
Participation of women is often a critical factor in the success or otherwise of a project, due to the central role of women in agriculture. There is a need for a comprehensive and clearly understood policy on overall pesticide reduction in agriculture and other sectors. Policy must address the issues of sustainability, biodiversity, rural development and international trade. This method has considerable advantages over current control techniques, such as treatment with rodenticides, land clearing adjacent to rice fields, and in the extreme case, the use of mains powered electric wires around paddy fields, which are reported to have caused the death of at least 15 people. Work at IRRI was prompted by the severe impact of rodents on experiments and field plots.