aneera Bibi lives in Tarapur village of Sialkot district. She owns 10 acres of agricultural land. She says, “My family and I have been working on our farm for ten years. We grow all kinds of vegetables and seasonal crops. The land is fertile and usually yields good results, but pests sometimes cause significant damage to the crops. Common pests like leaf folders, aphids, termites and mealy bugs are often found on our vegetables. These can cause significant harm.

“When we spray pesticides to protect our crops from these pests, we avoid going near the fields and do not use the produce for a month afterward. The cost of pesticides is very high. While the government mostly provides for pesticide sprays for sugarcane, the expense for other crops comes out of our pockets. When we apply pesticides, our feet often get damaged, and we suffer from skin allergies.”

Chemical engineer Imran Ashraf says most of the pesticides are indispensable in commercial agriculture. They have been used by farmers to control weeds and insects, and there has been a remarkable increase in their use. The increase in the world’s population in the 20th Century required a parallel increase in food production.

A UN report shows that annual pesticide use was 4.1 million tonnes in 2016, double the volume applied in 1990. In 2016, the global market for pesticides was valued at approximately $65 billion. It is projected to reach $71 billion by 2026.

Ashraf says pesticides are classified by chemical type, functional group, mode of action and toxicity. Pesticides are used to kill pests and control weeds using chemical ingredients. They can be toxic to other organisms, including humans as well. They often cause air pollution and change the climate patterns.

“Pesticide contamination spreads away from the target plants, resulting in environmental pollution. These chemical residues impact human health through environmental and food contamination. Pesticide-caused climate change-related factors also impact on pesticide application and result in increased pesticide use and pesticide pollution.”

He says authorities register and license pesticide use.

Syed Shoukat Hussain Gillani, the CEO of a pesticide company, says that some chemicals in pesticides, such as 1, 3-dichloropropene and meta potassium, can cause irritation to the eyes and skin. Chloropicrin and dichloropropene are also harmful. During the formation of pestsil, a lot of fuel and biofuel are used. This also effects the climate.

Pesticides contain volatile organic compounds and particulate matter that cause air pollution. They also deplete ground-level ozone and are major components of smog. These chemicals contribute to global warming and raise the global temperature.

“Fumigants that kill the fungus in crops release nitrous oxides and greenhouse gases. Nitrous oxide is 300 times more effective than carbon dioxide,” says Shoukat Gillani.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in 2020-21, Pakistan used 108 insecticides, 30 fungicides, 39 weedicides, 5 acaricides and 6 rodenticides. The pesticide import bill increased every year. About 80 per cent of the pesticides are applied to cotton crop; the rest are used on crops like paddy, sugarcane and various vegetables. Over the past 20 years, pesticide use has surged by 1,169 per cent. With more than 10 sprays per crop in some cases, there is significant concerns for human health.

Pesticides contain volatile organic compounds and particulate matter that cause air pollution. They also deplete ground-level ozone and are major components of smog. These chemicals contribute to global warming and increase the temperature. 

Dr Mohsin, a climate change expert, says that pesticides contribute to the release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These, in turn, raise the global temperatures. Additionally, pesticide droplets, when exposed to air, contribute to global warming. He says that rising temperatures stimulate insect activity. The climate change alters rainfall patterns, leading to droughts. Drought-stricken plants become more vulnerable to insect attacks, prompting farmers to use more pesticides to protect their crops. This increased pesticide use further exacerbates climate change, creating a harmful cycle.

It’s crucial to recognise that producing one kilogram of pesticide generally requires about ten times more energy than producing an equivalent amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The increased use of synthetic pesticides will disproportionately impact communities already facing the effects of climate change, such as extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

Combined, the pressures from climate change and pesticide use place an unequal burden on the poor. This is a critical issue in climate (in)justice.

According to a 2021 Asian Development Bank report, Pakistan’s crops are highly sensitive to variations in temperature and water availability. A temperature increase of 0.5°C to 2°C can result in a yield loss of 8 to 10 percent. Additionally, some of the crops are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. Meanwhile, the number of days with temperatures exceeding 35°C is expected to rise.

Indirect effects of pesticide use include impacts on the availability and seasonality of water resources, the transformation of soil organic matter, soil erosion, changes in pest and disease profiles and the arrival of invasive species.

Sakina Bibi who lives in Targa village, says pesticide are useful as well as harmful for both plant and human.

Sakina says that a farmer recently died due to pesticide use in her area. The forty-two-year-old had inhaled the fumes while spraying a crop.

According to the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency, global pesticide consumption reached 3.5 million metric tonnes in 2021, showing a four percent increase year over year. It was projected to reach 4.3 million metric tonnes by 2024. Asia accounted for the largest share, 38 percent; Europe had the lowest, 13 percent.

According to a UN report on environment, chemical use is vital in farming. It says 4 billion tonnes of pesticides and 12 billion kg of plastics are used annually. However, they pose serious risks causing 11,000 annual deaths from pesticide toxicity, degraded ecosystems, reduced soil health and air pollution from burning plastics.

According to the European Commission, under the Farm to Fork strategy, the EU aims to reduce the use and risk of hazardous pesticides by 50 per cent by 2030.

A Punjab Agriculture Department deputy director says one must avoid eating and smoking while spraying pesticides. He says one should never wash pesticide spray bottles in river or tube well water. If the nozzle of a spray bottle is not working properly, one should not blow into it. After a spray, one must not feed the contaminated grass to animals for three days as that contains harmful chemicals that might affect their health.

He says that use of pesticides helps protect crops from pests such as grasshoppers, mealybugs, weevils, flea beetles and Asian long-horned beetles. As such, pesticide use is contributing to improving national economy.

The government has recently introduced the Kissan Card. The loans must be repaid within six months. For farmers with up to 5 acres of land holding, the programme provides Rs 60,000 per acre credit for cotton and Rs 40,000 per acre for wheat.

Two training sessions are a part of this program. The first is for pesticide vendors and the second for farmers.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Gujranwala.