Q: I was surprised that everywhere we go to talk to village people, they mention "Don't eat food with poisons (pesticides) on them" as a way to keep their families healthy. How is it that regular people in Sri Lanka are so aware of the ill effects of pesticides?

They see the spraying going on all around them, and often they handle the chemicals themselves on their own land. The people who handle pesticides directly are well aware of how strong they are (to smell, touch) so it is understood that consuming them would not be beneficial to the health. Those who do not use the pesticides directly (working small family gardens rather than larger farms) hear from others how dangerous they are.
They also hear about so many people commiting suicide by drinking pesticide.

Q: What type of pests are the biggest problems in this region?

Fruit flies. They lay eggs in fruit and that ruins the fruit. We also have cutworms and pod-boras (worms which burrow into capsicum, beans, etc.)

Q: Tell me about pesticides in Sri Lanka, their benefits and risks…

Pests are a huge problem in Sri Lanka. So using pesticides, farmers can greatly increase their yield. Without pesticides, they end up with 30 to 40 percent less yield. Prices are also affected. For example, cabbages grown with pesticides are available in the market for 20 rupees. Organic cabbages cost 120 rupees. The people obviously can't spend 100 rupees more each time they buy.

Q: Of all the pesticides used, which ones are the most damaging to human beings?

Systemic pesticides are the worst. Once the leaves are sprayed, the poison goes inside the vegetable and remains there for approximately 30 days. So if you harvest before 30 days, you will be eating that toxic substance.

Q: Do farmers often harvest early, while the chemical is still in the vegetable?

Yes, most of the time. There is no other way. Many vegetables must be harvested within 5 to 6 day intervals! Lady fingers take only three days. So vegetables like brinjal and tomatoes are always harvested quickly.

Q: Which vegetables are likely to be the most harmful to the people who eat them?

Cabbage. They have so many leaves, and pests go between each leaf. So therefore farmers have to use the strongest pesticides and the largest quantity to protect their cabbage crop. Almost all the cabbages you find in the market are grown with these pesticides. The other vegetables that are likely to be full of chemicals are the ones I just mentioned: brinjal, tomato and lady fingers. Capsicum is also heavily sprayed.

Q: So what can ordinary people do about this?

They can grow their own food and avoid using the poisons. They can use their fingers and take out the worms. Another very good method to protect your family is to soak the vegetables in clean water for 3 to 4 hours before cooking. That will remove most of the pesticides. This is possible on a small scale. But large scale farmers cannot possibly pluck each worm out by hand.

Q: Do large scale farmers use natural pest deterrents, like planting certain plants between crops to discourage pests?

Yes, a yellow flower is used called Daspetiya, which deters some pests. But it isn't as effective. Kohomba is another thing that is used. You take the seeds from the tree and make a powder out of them and then you put that powder in water for four to five hours. After that you strain it and spray it on the crops. It is good for several different pests, including cutworms and pod-boras.

Q: What about non-chemical mechanical methods?

There are many mechanical methods. Farmers use yellow polythene sheets that we cover with a type of greasy paste and when the pests come near it they are attracted and then they get stuck. The farmers use a bulb (or some kind of light) that attracts insects. Under that bulb farmers place a pot containing pesticides. Once the flies come near the bulb they are affected by the chemical fumes and they drop dead. A third method is mixing regular soap powder with water and spraying it on the surface of crops. A fourth method is to cover each piece of unripe fruit with a polythene or paper bag that is open at the bottom. This keeps the fruit safe from fruit flies because research has shown that fruit flies can only fly in a straight line. Even though they are able to, they don't have the habit of flying down and then flying up to lay eggs in the fruit.

Q: But soap powder is a pretty harsh chemical as well, how is that fit for human consumption?

Soap is a chemical too, but that is why everyone washes their vegetables before they prepare…the soap method cannot be used for fruit flies but is good for other pests.

Q: Are the mechanical methods and the natural methods effective enough to use without using chemical methods?

No, farmers prefer the chemicals because they are the most effective. The other methods are somewhat effective, but not as effective as the stronger chemicals. We are trying to encourage the use of the less harmful methods. We encourage small farmers to avoid spraying and instead use biological controls (natural enemies of pests that eat eggs or entire bodies of pests) For large scale farmers we are trying to get them to use non-systemic chemicals which remain on the surface of the vegetable.

Q: What exactly are the bad health effects of pesticides in general?

This is not known for sure at this time. Research is ongoing, and we know that eating pesticides is linked to certain kinds of cancer and many other health problems. But we haven't identified all problems yet. What we do know is that these problems will creep up on us, affecting our children's and grandchildren's health. The main problem is that farmers are more concerned with their own profits than with the long-term effects on the people's health. They want to use the method that works the best and causes the least losses.
There are many accidental illnesses or deaths associated with spraying pesticides. Many farmers spray while chewing betel or while smoking. They don't realize that they are taking the chemical into their bodies and causing harm to themselves. Sometimes the farmers are not paying attention to the wind direction so most of the pesticides end up on their own bodies. Other times small children accidently play near chemicals.
Pesticides are also the most popular method of committing suicide in Sri Lanka. Almost everyday there are reports in the newspapers of about five or six suicides. Many people kill themselves over small things, such as not getting admission into a university, or feeling restricted by overly strict parents, or being in love with someone whom their parents don't accept… things like that. You will die if you drink even a small amount of pesticide, but it is a very slow and painful death. I witnessed a boy of 26 shaking violently after drinking some pesticide while his parents rushed to find a vehicle to take him to the hospital. It took 45 minutes to get the vehicle, but by that time it was too late. The boy was dead. He had had an argument with his father right before he drank the poison.

Q: It is understandable that farmers want to prevent financial losses. But in talking to people in the villages, they have said that it is really difficult to grow all the varieties of foods that they like to eat. They find all the things available in the market so they buy those foods regularly. How do you think this problem can be resolved?

Naturally it is convenient to buy at the market. But as much as possible people should try to grow their own food. In terms of the future, our best hope is to breed new crop varieties that are resistant to pests. That is one thing that researchers are working on now. Improving biological control methods is another thing. We need to identify new natural enemies of insects. For example, the Coconut Research Institute imported an insect from abroad that was very successful in controlling pests that damage coconut leaves. Coming up with new mechanical methods are other important area for agricultural research.