From March 20 to 30 each year, the international community celebrates Pesticide Alternatives Week. Its aim is to inform the general public about the consequences of using synthetic pesticides in agriculture, and to promote awareness that an alternative is still possible. As part of the celebrations for this 19th edition, INADES-Formation Togo is carrying out an analysis highlighting the complexity of the challenge posed by the use of synthetic chemical pesticides in agriculture, and underlining the importance of finding an alternative.
The debate on the use of synthetic chemical pesticides in agriculture has long been at the heart of environmental and public health concerns. In a context where the harmful effects of these products on the ecosystem and human health are increasingly documented, the need to promote alternatives becomes imperative. This is why the Week for Alternatives to Pesticides, initiated by the Générations Futures association in 2005, is so crucial.
The theme of the 2024 edition of this international week, “health and alternatives to pesticides”, underlines the urgent need to raise public awareness of the risks associated with the use of synthetic chemical pesticides. The primary objective is to inform citizens about these dangers, then to promote sustainable solutions for agricultural production that respects the environment and human health, and finally to federate a network of players and mobilize an ever-wider public.
Among the alternatives put forward, agroecological solutions are emerging as viable models. These approaches promote rational ecosystem management, enhancing biodiversity and natural resources while guaranteeing high-quality food production.
Individual responsibility is also emphasized in the fight against pesticides. “One of the greatest levers lies in everyday purchases. Voting for healthy, sustainable food by buying agroecological products whenever possible reinforces alternative production methods without synthetic pesticides, and helps convert more farms to agroecology”. Consumers are therefore invited to give preference to products from organic farming, helping to encourage a transition to environmentally-friendly production methods.
However, to bring about significant change, coherent and ambitious political measures are essential. With this in mind, the INADES-Formation network, through its “AlimenTERRE Conscience Campaign”, is actively involved in advocating stricter regulation of the agricultural sector, with a view to reducing the import, marketing and use of synthetic chemical pesticides.
By mobilizing citizens, economic players and political decision-makers alike, we can build a future in which agriculture that respects the environment and health becomes the norm. “Since food is a right and eating a vote, let’s commit to a diversified, ecological and sustainable agriculture: agriculture without synthetic chemical pesticides.“.
