"Few people are untouched by pesticide exposure. They may be exposed through food, water, air, or direct contact with pesticides or residues" - United Nations
According to a recent UN report, 200,000 people die from the toxic exposure of pesticides per year around the world, "calling for tougher global regulation of substances meant to control pests or weeds for plant cultivation".[1]
The UN categorically started, "Reliance on hazardous pesticides is a short-term solution that undermines the rights to adequate food and health for present and future generations". The pesticides are having a profoundly adversarial affects on the environment as they "frequently pollute the surrounding ecosystem and beyond, with unpredictable ecological consequences". Furthermore, "Pesticides can also decrease biodiversity of soils and contribute to nitrogen fixation, which can lead to large declines in crop yields, posing problems for food security."
Yet, as the report alarmingly emphasised, these pesticides are not only having a tremendously negative impact on the environment, but also on our health.
According to the UN document reported by Al Jazeera, "an array of serious illnesses and health issues with suspected links to pesticides, including cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, hormone disruption, birth defects, sterility, and neurological effects".
This news comes in light of a cluster of Parkinson's disease discovered in north-west Victoria linked to pesticide use.
Researchers from Monash University say that prevalence in the area - which is a key lentil, beans, barley and chickpea farming region - is 78 per cent higher than the rest of the state. Uncovered by a team of scientists and heath researchers, the discovery "has sparked calls for urgent research into links with pesticides and other farming techniques".
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) has previously announced their intension to partner with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) to explore the use of electrolysed water on crops.
Innovative and less harmful techniques must be explored to replace pesticides in an agricultural environment.
Bibliography
[1] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/200000-die-year-pesticide-poisoning-170308140641105.html