Project Update March 2021
Gennia Oxley Registrar of Pesticides, Barbados
Carmen van Dijk Deputy Director of Agriculture (ag), Suriname
Trecia David Garnath Registrar of Pesticides, Guyana
Yasmin Johnson Director of Plant Protection, The Bahamas Auria King-Cenac Chair of Pesticides Board, St. Lucia
Tamara Morrison, Registrar of Pesticides, Jamaica
Anna Mary Seraphine Registrar of Pesticides, Dominica
Miriam Ochaeta-Serrut Registrar of Pesticides, Belize
In our fourth edition of Caribbean Pesticide Management News, we will feature some updates and news in the world of pesticides management from the region. Our aim is to keep you informed about project developments and to provide valuable “info-bits”! Here is some information about happenings from August 2020 – January 2020. The project “Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides including POPs, Promotion of Alternatives and Strengthening Pesticides Management in the Caribbean” is presently being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Boards of the Caribbean (CGPC) in 11 countries of the Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
Safe disposal of POPs and other obsolete pesticides and PCBs
Technology transfer of methodologies for identification and remediation of contaminated sites
Development of systems to manage empty pesticides containers
Strengthening regulatory framework and institutional capacity for sound management of pesticides
Promotion of alternatives to chemical pesticides
PROJECT OBJECTIVES/ COMPONENTS
Without a doubt, the Caribbean region like the rest of the world, has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, pesticide and toxic chemicals life cycle management is an important area where we should not let up our work to continue to help protect human health and the environment. With calls for increased agricultural production in the region, we may see increases in pesticide imports and use. Some countries are experiencing challenges regulating and monitoring the sudden influx of hand sanitizers and other chemicals labelled as COVID 19 disinfectants.
Empty Container Management
FAO has engaged AGRIVALOR- Guadeloupe an agricultural waste disposal and recycling company to examine current empty pesticide container management and disposal practices in four project countries (Barbados, Dominica, Guyana and Saint Kitts and Nevis). Through their analysis AGRIVALOR-Guadeloupe will devise recommendations for disposal/recycling. They will also review data submitted by the Dominican Republic with the intention to conduct work there in the future. However, due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic the majority of the research and data collection will have to be conducted virtually. With assistance from the National Project Coordinators they will be conducting surveys and interviewing stakeholders from the private sector such as pesticides importers and distributors, farmer and agricultural producer cooperatives and associations; Extension officers, regulators, solid waste management authorities and Ministries of government including agriculture, health and environment. This work will inform the development of best practices which can be applied across the Caribbean region. We look forward to the outcome of this initiative which will be one of the first to be conducted in the region in the area of empty pesticide container management.
DID YOU
KNOW?
Women hold senior positions on pesticide control authorities in 8 Caribbean countries.
Alternatives to Pesticides
Global action is needed by all stakeholders to reduce the risks posed by pesticides and more specifically, the risks of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs). The stakeholders of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), which include FAO, UNEP and WHO, along with many other organizations and countries have expressed concern about the harm that HHPs can cause to human health and the environment. The Global Action Plan aims to consolidate the commitments and efforts of diverse organizations who have interests and responsibilities in eliminating the risks posed by HHPs in order to achieve significant and measurable change over time. It seeks to expand and accelerate that shift by supporting actors at national, regional and global levels to improve occupational health, food safety and environmental standards. In addition, it will help countries to meet the changing requirements of export markets for agricultural produce, such as more stringent standards on pesticides residues.
Target crops Work to develop the Caribbean Regional HHPs Risk Reduction Plan continued with surveys, consultations and data collection. Being led by PAN-UK in collaboration with FAO, regulators and stakeholders from project and CGPC Member countries, progress has been made in developing guidelines for integrated weed, disease and pest management in select crops where HHPs are used. Guidance for key domestic pest management is also under development.
tomatoes coffee
bananas
leafy vegetables
sugar cane
Click here for more information on the "Food Spray" Technique
Field trials being conducted jointly by the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the Pesticides Action Network-United Kingdom (PAN-UK) and the FAO Regional Project Coordinator to test the “food spray” technique began in January 2021. The “food spray technique” is one component in integrated pest management (IPM) where “food spray” that includes sugars and yeast are sprayed near to farmer plots in order to attract crop pests’ natural enemies into their fields.
Other IPM components which must be implemented at the same time include (i) manipulating the crop habitat – to provide a refuge for natural enemies and (ii) avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides which will disrupt or kill natural enemies. These practices if successful in the region, could result in less toxic chemical pesticides used for crop pest and disease management, help prevent farmer exposure, loss of non-target organisms and contamination of the environment.
In January 2021, UWI in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago began field trials and surveys to test a phone app developed by PAN-UK. The surveys will collect valuable data on health impacts of pesticides in those countries as it relates to the misuse of pesticides in crop production. Apart from testing the functioning of the App, data collected will provide much needed baseline information to the Ministries of Health, Pesticides Control Authority and Pesticides Inspectorate which are the regulatory authorities for pesticides management in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, respectively. Presently, there is very little information on the acute health effects of pesticides in the Caribbean and CGPC countries are eagerly looking forward to the results of these app trials and surveys which will provide information on the types of symptoms suffered by farmers and the pesticides products linked to such occurrences.
Strengthening Regulatory Framework and Institutional Capacity
The model pesticides legislation developed by FAO under the project has been shared with beneficiary countries, CARICOM, the OECS and the CGPC. The intention is to update pesticides legislation in the region and to harmonize laws across the countries of the Caribbean, initially in the area of registration evaluation. To that end a draft MOU and a draft proposal for regional evaluation of pesticides products were developed by the FAO Legal Unit and were reviewed by the Pilot Technical Working Group to Evaluate Pesticide Product Registration Applications.
The pesticide-contaminated soil remediation pilot continues in Marienburg, Suriname led by UWI in collaboration with the University of Suriname, the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and FAO. Data is being collected on contaminant levels in addition to the monitoring of soil, plants and microbial communities. A manual on contaminated soil identification, characterization and remediation for Soil Technicians in the region is being compiled by lead scientist on the project and Senior Lecturer and Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, UWI- St Augustine, Dr. Gaius Eudoxie. A training workshop will take place in March 2021.
Click here to download webinar resources
From the 17 – 18 August 2020, the FAO Pesticides Management Project Team and FAO SLC Plant Production and Protection Officer in collaboration with The Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority facilitated a farmers’ webinar on Integrated Crop Management and Pesticide Risk Reduction. Presentations were made on Crop Nutrition as an Important Component of Plant Health; Integrated Pest Management: Healthy Plants; Pesticides Use and Safety; Highly Hazardous Pesticides; Alternatives to Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Disease and Pest Management in Vegetable crops and Neem as a Safe, Natural Alternative. CARDI and IICA also participated and presented on their roles in The Bahamas. Just over 60 participants attended the virtual workshop.
DID YOU
KNOW? Estimates suggest that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30%.
Due to the delays caused by COVID-19 pandemic, The Caribbean Pesticide Management project has been extended and will now conclude in June 2021. The Terminal Evaluation process has started and is expected to be completed by April 2021. Countries are requested to engage fully in this process.
The 15th Virtual Meeting of the CGPC took place virtually on 28th October 2020. The meeting commenced with a comprehensive presentation on Bio-pesticides by Professor Duraisamy Saravanakumar- Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Agriculture, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Topics included: components of bio-pesticides with special emphasis on microorganisms that are used against insect pest and diseases. Registration guidelines were also discussed. Other areas discussed during the meeting included country activities for Pesticide Awareness Week 2020 and an update on the work being done by PAN-UK on HHPs risk reduction and development of a regional HHPs risk reduction plan.
Visibility Pesticide awareness week around the Caribbean The CGPC officially observes Pesticides Awareness Week (PAW) annually in the last week of September, with Pesticides Awareness Day being observed on the 27th September. This year, due to the impact of the COVID 19, all countries were not able to observe PAW at that time. However, countries shared information on activities already conducted and planned according to national priorities and the intended target audience. The theme for the observance was “PPE for COVID-19, PPE for Pesticides. Health and Safety for All!!!”
Jamaica held a virtual forum on Glyphosate along with a workshop for Certified Pest Control Applicators.
Dominica broadcasted a local video titled "How to Gear Up with PPE"
St. Lucia conducted awareness activities via local radio, TV and newspaper articles.
The COVID-19 pandemic restricted some activities for PAW, however, countries capitalized on media and virtual platforms to raise awareness.
Dominica The Minister of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture and Food Security started the week with a special address. Talk show interviews, panel discussions and a video shoot on “How to gear up with PPE” were shared across local radio and TV networks featuring officers from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Jamaica The week commenced with editorials in major newspapers which included a message from the Minister of Health and Wellness. The week continued with interviews sharing the do’s and don’ts of pesticide usage and social media quizzes with prizes for the winners. A virtual forum on Glyphosate was held along with a workshop for Certified Pest Control Applicators.
Saint Lucia PAW activities included participation in a live TV and Radio Program called Agriculture on the Move; dissemination of brochures and newspaper articles on the effects of pesticides and their alternatives. Two videos: The Story of the Farmer Ricky and The Story of Devon and Keisha were aired for all to view. See here.
Other project and CGPC countries shared awareness posters and materials developed by the project.
DOWNLOAD NOW The FAO Caribbean Pesticide Management Project created a series of customizable posters and social-media cards for countries to disseminate in observance of Pesticide Awareness Week. These Awareness materials available for download in English, Spanish, Dutch and French.
DOWNLOAD NOW To mark the end of the project and share the work accomplished over the past 4 years, The FAO Caribbean Pesticide Management Project has published a 2021-2022 calendar capturing activities over the duration of the project. For print versions, please contact firhaana.bulbulia@fao.org
GENDER AND PESTICIDES In this edition we share information on the importance of adopting a gender perspective in agronomic research and extension work. Women and men farmers often play different roles in agricultural production, and they possess different levels of knowledge about, and involvement in, pest and disease management practices. Despite these gender differences, pest and disease management research and training often targets “farmers,” neglecting the specific needs of women and men as well as the power relationships within households and communities. Such an oversight is particularly important since providing gender-appropriate support to women and men farmers helps to increase the adoption of appropriate crop protection
A gender perspective promotes new ideas and approaches to agronomy research and crop protection.
technologies and practices, reduce farmers' exposure to pesticides, and improve environmental quality. While a gender perspective is increasingly recognized in the field of agricultural extension and training, it is often insufficiently considered by agronomists and crop protection experts, who are focused on bio-technical solutions and pay little attention to socio-economic factors and power relations among farmers in and off the field. Adopting a gender perspective while conducting agronomic research and extension work has great potential to provide more efficient approaches to managing pests and diseases at the field level. A gender perspective promotes new ideas and approaches to agronomy and crop protection research. Firstly, it allows researchers to move beyond exploring the issues of pests and diseases in a single crop and single scientific discipline. Women and men farmers' strategies for managing pests and
diseases are closely associated with their interests and priorities in other crops, this should be considered. Secondly, it enables researchers to explore a broader value-chain process of the targeted crop rather than focusing on the particular stages of production where pests and diseases take place. Thirdly, research from a gender perspective necessarily explores problems and solutions from the viewpoint of women and men farmers instead of “scientists.” Understanding how women and men perceive the issues and what women and men do and do not is a first step in providing appropriate solutions and a critical analysis of gendered power dynamics is essential to finding appropriate and adoptable solutions.
To achieve these, gender-responsive participatory research as well as participatory approaches in extension work are essential. It is important, therefore, for agricultural organizations to provide the enabling conditions for researchers to adopt a gender-sensitize perspective e.g. such as facilitating transdisciplinary research and increasing the number of female researchers and female extension workers. Voice and representation are key inputs to more effective leadership, particularly on these issues. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how important it is to consider gender needs and interests in all spheres of life, particularly for labour and working conditions. Leadership on gender mainstreaming is such a need.
Read case studies here
International Women’s Day 2021
"Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world"
On the occasion of International Women's Day, recognized annually by the United Nations on March 8, we salute the hardworking women who lead the region in pesticide management.
CONTACT US: Caribbean Pesticide Management Project FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean 2nd Floor, United Nations House Hastings Christ Church Barbados 1(246) 426-7110 fao-slc@fao.org firhaana.bulbulia@fao.org