Pesticides at work

By Anne Consroe
While traveling the countryside of Belize, we often passed banana fields, where the trees had some sort of blue bag on them. We later visited a banana plantation and processing factory, and learned that the blue plastic bags were soaked in pesticides, and wrapped around the bunch of bananas to keep pests away.

In this conventionally-processed factory, we also met workers and saw how they handled and washed the produce, often contaminating themselves with toxic chemicals. They are warned about the risks of ingesting such harmful chemicals, but in no way can completely protect themselves from their harsh side effects, especially when exposed over an extended period of time.

The bananas grown in these plantations that are aesthetically good enough to export are primarily exported to England and the United States. The bananas that do not look as perfect, however, are sold to other areas of Central America or in local markets.

Conventionally-grown and processed fruits and vegetables (those that use any type of pesticide or chemical in any stage of production) are not only harmful for workers and consumers, but are also extremely harmful for our environment. They wipe out targeted pests and beneficial organisms alike, while harming surrounding wildlife and affecting water quality through inevitable runoff.

It has been said that we can vote with our forks. By buying fruits and vegetables that have not been grown or processed with the use of harmful pesticides, we can show large companies we do not believe in pesticide use.

Instead of harming factory workers and the health of our environment, we can choose to buy organic. If more people bought more organic foods and thereby increased their demand, the supply of organic foods would eventually increase in available markets and grocery stores.

Understand what you eat. Vote.