Pesticides In Chile: A Socio-Environmental Problem

Pesticides in Chile: A socio-environmental problem

Agriculture is one of the most developing activities of the twentieth century, worldwide as in our country, its progress to improve the quality, quantity and demand of the resources it provides.

In principle it was to provide food to the population, but with greater emphasis generate great economic income to industries (profitability), and within those that have benefited from this development is the agrochemical industry.

Its indiscriminate use has caused serious environmental and social impacts and impacts, which have caused and continue to cause global, air pollution, water, soil, trophic chains, ecosystems and human health, excessively. This wear is mainly due to monoculture and especially the desire to control and eliminate pests and diseases, which cause the "enemies", which leads to low production and quality, making it difficult to develop a particular crop, that is, all thatThat is competition, deterioration and originated in the final harvest must be eliminated.

The main determination to intervene in agriculture is for the business to be lucrative, in addition to obtaining better quality food and meet the demands of required. Thanks to the offer of new technologies and products that will improve the attributes of these, one of the most used practices in agriculture is the application of agrochemicals for pest control.

As we know in Chile there is current legislation on pesticides, which regulates its importation, marketing, manipulation and application, in addition to inspection organizations involved the agricultural and livestock service (SAG), Ministry of Health (MINSAL) and its regional ministerial secretariesof health with the Protocol of Environmental Surveillance and Health, among other measures.

These competent entities must inform and prevent the risks, damage that causes health and environment;But these are not effective in its entirety regarding their regulation and the condescending control of the competent agencies.

The strategies used in recent years by regulatory agencies are mainly oriented in reducing the danger and consequences that can cause this chemicals, mainly through training to workers in the societies involved who use pesticides, sectorized to largeand medium agricultural companies;However, these have not been enough, the small farmers are lagging behind, partially representing the social problem.

This socio-environmental problem to exposure to pesticides, is a fairly conflicting issue, not only affects workers in the agricultural sector, but also brings consequences for the surrounding population, constantly exposed to the pernicious effects of these toxic products, scenarioFossed out for the development of congenital, chronic diseases and poisoning and the irreversible damage that is being caused to the environment, becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effect of these chemicals.

In our country historically agricultural companies (Foundes) have stood out for the lack of awareness, commitment and lack of empathy, which exists towards agricultural workers and sectors adjacent to their crops, just worrying that their production is profitable. Although there is a “surveillance protocol”, which is made up of the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network in Pesticides (Revep), which since 2004 has a mandatory and immediate character.

This is a problem of great socio-environmental relevance, which does not have elementary or precise guidelines, a topic that is important only at a general level, leaving very much and weak, where the importance that corresponds has not yet been taken. Contrary to existing regulatory policies and extensive scientific research, both globally and the country and the emphasis of promoting the learning of the use of agrochemicalharmful effects that cause pesticides, limited preventive actions, breach of regulations, indiscriminate use by companies and small agricultural owners, it is also important to question the free production and commercialization of various agrotoxics.

Despite the efforts and constant struggle of certain sectors that are concerned with social and environmental well -being, the problem persists, which indicates that there must be new instruments and perspectives or nuances to address and improve the way of instructing the populationin general and especially the rural, which is the most postponed and violated of its rights.

Considering the need to regulate the land application of agricultural pesticides, referring to the necessary safety conditions for the protection of health and physical and health integrity of the people who execute these activities and those who live in the surroundings of the place of applications,They can receive their pernicious effects, therefore the information delivered to the population must be accurate and take into account that the law protects them, through control, which must sanction those who incur non -compliance, mainly made by the secretariesMINSAL HEALTH MINISTERIALS, (Chilean legislation). In order for this to be carried out, there must be knowledge by the community of laws and can use them demanding breaking the regulations, of which we will analyze Law 20.308 on “the protection of workers in the use of phytosanitary products” and that of especially decree 158, “conditions for the health security of people in the land application of agricultural pesticides”.