By: Maya Gowda, Global Development ‘2027
People in India do not often think twice about the hardships and tears that go into growing the ingredients for their favorite foods. Indian agricultural workers face many difficulties when trying to provide nutritious food for their families and communities. Exposure to pesticides also affects the efficiency of workers on their farms and may lead to crop failure over time. This makes it difficult for farmers to pay off their debts and can cause mental health issues. The unregulated use of pesticides by farmers imposes a gender and health burden on farming households in India.
For many years, the Indian government has overlooked farming households that are grappling with the negative effects of unregulated pesticide use. The capitalist mindset of pesticide companies has created a power imbalance and poor relationship between pesticide companies and farmers. Dr. Vandana Shiva, an Indian scholar and environmental activist, mentions that the Green Revolution was driven by malicious chemical industries in an attempt to profit from vulnerable farmers [1]. In “Toxic Tears,” the farmers mention that unregulated pesticide use is similar to an unhealthy drug which is driving farmers into a systemic cycle of continuously hurting their health in hopes of successfully growing crops. Pesticides may contain carcinogens that can promote cancerous cell development [2]. Farmers often feel unsupported due to the lack of governmental regulation regarding pesticide use which is preventing them from receiving loans. [1]. The inability to pay off their debts often makes farmers feel embarrassed as well as unmotivated to continue their work. Such negative feelings can start to accumulate and lead farmers’ mental health to deteriorate, causing some to commit suicide [1]. Dr. Shiva explains that an increasing rate of suicides from male farmers is directly causing a decline in the birth rate on farms. This decrease in agriculture workers may severely impact food security across India.
Not only may farmers prioritize work over health, but also over their family members. Additionally, continuous exposure to pesticides contributes significantly to many family members developing cancer. Saini states that there will be a 50% increase in cancer rates due to agrochemical usage on farms [3]. In fact about 830 million people residing in agricultural areas are being affected by pesticides [3]. Research has shown that cancers of the prostate, brain, and blood are exceedingly common in areas that use agricultural pesticides [4]. The narrative of the Kumar family captivates attention. Living on a farm saturated with pesticides, the wife of farmer Rakesh Kumar found herself battling breast cancer. Despite his desire to support her, he was constrained by the demands of maintaining their farm. The financial debt further compounded their hardship, making it difficult to afford the costly cancer treatments needed. This could worsen disparities in cancer outcomes, particularly for agricultural workers or individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who may struggle to afford cancer treatments or reside in areas with less pollution [5]. Coping with health issues, both personally and within their families, is a common challenge experienced by Indian agricultural workers and many others globally.
Indian farmers are often battling with the question of “Should I prioritize my health or my work?’ Does the Indian government need to witness more suicides before implementing policies that truly benefit agricultural workers’ health? Will the deteriorating mental health of farmers always be irrelevant? How many more lives must be lost due to the hardships of Indian agriculture before meaningful change is made?
References
Toxic Tears | Alexander Street, part of Clarivate. (n.d.). https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C3394175#/embed/object
Cancer incidence in agricultural workers: Findings from an international consortium of agricultural cohort studies (AGRICOH)—ScienceDirect. (n.d.). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021004505?via%3Dihub
Pesticides Are Killing India’s Farmers. (n.d.). https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/agricultural-chemicals-are-killing-indian-farmers/
Journal, B. A. and Z. S. | P. by Z. S. for T. W. S. (2023, November 19). They Believe Pesticides Caused Their Cancers. Proving It Is Almost Impossible. WSJ. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/cancer-risk-pesticide-california-farmworkers-864174b2
Yu, P., Xu, R., Yang, Z., Ye, T., Liu, Y., Li, S., Abramson, M. J., Kimlin, M., & Guo, Y. (2023). Cancer and Ongoing Climate Change: Who Are the Most Affected? ACS Environmental Au, 3(1), 5–11. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenvironau.2c00012
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