Protect Yourself, Farmworkers, and Their Families by Living a Pesticide-Free Lifestyle!
Let's talk about it! Through my writing, I will be describing the many ways that pesticides not only negatively affect you, but the people that have to work with pesticide-plagued food (farmworkers!).
Despite the fact that toxic pesticides aid mass food production in our populous world, there are many adverse effects they cause. Moreover, there is a lot of anthropological research depicting the exploitation that Latino farmworkers face through the use of pesticides in California. It is extremely important to address the different ways pesticides expose exploitation and corruption within our current agricultural system. Latino farmworkers and their families have been disproportionately affected by pesticide use, as I have discovered through my research. Agribusinesses prioritize economic fortune and fail to recognize the impact of pesticides on people's and children’s health. Ultimately, it is imperative to highlight the environmental implications of pesticide use but is just as important to discuss the toxic social systems in place that lead to the exacerbation of pesticide-related illness. Most importantly, it is vital that we shine a brighter light on how pesticides affect the Latino farmworker communities and consumers. Pesticide agriculture is disproportionately harmful to Latino farmworkers, and evidence suggests that their children are especially vulnerable to pesticide use.
Latino farmworkers make up 88 percent of the farmworkers in the United States. As I mentioned, I am looking at the health of Latino farmworkers (who make up 88 percent of the farmworkers in the United States) and their children. I also researched the ways in which pesticides perpetuate social issues and environmental injustices.
It is important that we are protecting children and the generations to come because pesticides act epigenetically. Environmental exposure, social stresses, and traumas alter genes at rates that exceed the pace of human evolution. Also, with this point, it is important to mention the intergenerational health consequences that affect not only those directly exposed to pesticides but also the families and communities that care for them and the children and grandchildren that are even born decades later.
Moreover, there are some gaps in knowledge, scientifically and socially that need to be labeled. While a good amount of research has been done about the effects of pesticides on the human body, there is still some general lack of knowledge of the amount of damage that pesticides can do to farmworkers and their families. Corruption is also an active factor in the lack of actions taken to protect farm workers. Saxton writes in her book, The Devil’s Fruit: Farmworkers, Health and Environmental Justice (linked here is a summary page). She writes, “California requires doctors to report incidences of possible pesticide exposure, yet many ‘health care providers often feel ill-equipped to recognize or manage pesticide exposure or pesticide-related illness’ (Quackenbush, Hackley and Dixon 2006) or lack adequate training in toxicology and occupational (Kelley et al. 2013 Wong el al. 2015). Some doctors contracted to evaluate workplace injuries or illnesses and workers’ compensation cases face pressure from insurers and employers, or the overwhelming volume of patients, to sign off on cases and get workers back to work as soon as possible” (C.G. Castillo 2018; Saxton 2013; Saxton and Stuesse 2018) (Saxton 2019).
Not receiving adequate medical help should be the least of a farmworker’s concerns while they are experiencing the negative health effects of pesticide exposure. The lack of reporting of such instances only makes the problems associated with pesticide agriculture worse. Saxton explains that routine blood work, urine samples, and testing farmworker clothing for pesticide residue are the proper ways to trace pesticide exposure. This is the bare minimum act farming companies should do if they are having workers use pesticides. They should be keeping track of exposure because we need more documentation and knowledge on the level of exposure farmworkers have to pesticides so scientists can track symptoms relative to the individual’s own level of pesticide exposure. This cannot be done if farmworkers are not receiving competent medical help. Without sufficient reporting and tracing of toxic pesticide exposure, farmworkers will not be able to advocate for their own health!
Sometimes, farmworkers were pushed into working on the farms with pesticides and were made unaware of the pesticide residues. Sanchez illustrates this in her article on Californian strawberries and Mexican Immigrant women sharecroppers. The author writes about the experiences of these women, one explains,
“We picked berries with our bare hands. Unaware of pesticide residues, we did not want to lose speed in cutting the fruit from the branch or sensitivity when touching the fruit” (Sanchez 2013).
The poor, working-class Latino farmworkers receive poor medical attention because of the exploitative and greedy farming systems that are in place. Those overseeing such systems and those (doctors, business owners, etc) that are in positions of power need to stop disregarding the physical distress pesticide use triggers in farm workers.
I would like to leave you with these last few points. First, you may be able to prevent potential harmful health risks that are linked with ingesting conventional foods. Maybe consider buying organic produce if you have the financial means to do so (Aldi has very affordable organic produce available in-store that I routinely buy from) or you may want to keep the dirty dozen list in mind when buying fruits and vegetables. Second, vote representatives into office that support the implementation of stronger pesticide regulation policies and policies aimed to protect farm workers. Lastly, show support for widespread pesticide exposure prevention training for ALL people. This will hopefully help to mobilize for policy action on the community and state levels.
2022’s Dirty Dozen List: The veggies with the MOST pesticide residues.
