Post by account_disabled on Mar 13, 2024 3:57:04 GMT -4
The vibrant food we eat is all thanks to farmworkers and the land. And yet, conventional agriculture—with its dependence on toxic chemicals—often comes at the expense of both. That’s why the Rainforest Alliance is campaigning to ban paraquat, one of the world’s most dangerous weedkillers. Paraquat kills. It kills weeds, it kills nature—and it kills people. In fact, paraquat is a leading cause of death among farmers and rural community members. Exposure causes chronic health issues (affecting lungs and kidneys) and studies have found an alarming link with Parkinson’s Disease. So why is it still so widely used by farms around the world? For one, there is a heartbreaking double standard. Although many countries, including all European Union members and the United Kingdom, have already banned paraquat use within their own borders, some still allow it to be exported for profit. As a result, those who face the greatest risk of exposure are vulnerable rural communities in tropical regions—farmworkers on large plantations and smallholder farmers who are already battling climate change to grow crops we love, like coffee, tea, and cocoa.
That’s why the Rainforest Alliance is campaigning for a global paraquat ban. And at the same time, we’re working side-by-side with farmers to promote healthier and more regenerative approaches to weed control. Helping farmers phase out dangerous weedkillers with regenerative agriculture Paraquat has been banned on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms since the very start of our program—and every day our field teams see our partner farming communities succeed without it. “It’s a myth that farmers need to keep their farms squeaky-clean from BYB Directory weeds to flourish,” says Mochammad Subkhi Hestiawan, the Rainforest Alliance’s cocoa expert in Indonesia. “Not all weeds are bad for plants. In fact, soft weeds provide mulch and protection from soil degradation and a home for predators of many pests that afflict cocoa farms.” Learning to love “good weeds” and pulling out the “bad” ones by hand is a practice known as Integrated Weed Management (IWM). Bad weeds can also be used to make organic compost—a safer alternative to chemical fertilizers. Over time, farmers can progressively phase out chemicals altogether.
This is what makes IWM a key facet of regenerative agriculture—an approach to farming that aims to heal the land. Meet the cocoa farmers embracing nature-friendly weeding in Indonesia RUSTAN EFFENDI—A FRIEND TO POLLINATORS 43-year-old Rustan Effendi has a small farm in Central Sulawesi where he grows cocoa and durian to support his wife and daughter. Several years ago, Effendi discovered the dangers of paraquat. “The herbicide brought some negative impacts to my health, such as shortness of breath while spraying it.” He also saw that weedkillers were killing off the bees and other important pollinators. This affected cocoa development cycles, leading to longer waits between harvests and unpredictable yield quality. He knew he needed to make a change. Together with the Rainforest Alliance and local government teams, he switched to IWM—targeting noxious weeds and pest habitats while maintaining soft weeds that provide habitats for pollinators. “[We work] to find ways to make the most of our farm,” he said. “We’re thinking of how to preserve the land so our descendants can inherit the fertile soil that brings benefits in the long term.
That’s why the Rainforest Alliance is campaigning for a global paraquat ban. And at the same time, we’re working side-by-side with farmers to promote healthier and more regenerative approaches to weed control. Helping farmers phase out dangerous weedkillers with regenerative agriculture Paraquat has been banned on Rainforest Alliance Certified farms since the very start of our program—and every day our field teams see our partner farming communities succeed without it. “It’s a myth that farmers need to keep their farms squeaky-clean from BYB Directory weeds to flourish,” says Mochammad Subkhi Hestiawan, the Rainforest Alliance’s cocoa expert in Indonesia. “Not all weeds are bad for plants. In fact, soft weeds provide mulch and protection from soil degradation and a home for predators of many pests that afflict cocoa farms.” Learning to love “good weeds” and pulling out the “bad” ones by hand is a practice known as Integrated Weed Management (IWM). Bad weeds can also be used to make organic compost—a safer alternative to chemical fertilizers. Over time, farmers can progressively phase out chemicals altogether.
This is what makes IWM a key facet of regenerative agriculture—an approach to farming that aims to heal the land. Meet the cocoa farmers embracing nature-friendly weeding in Indonesia RUSTAN EFFENDI—A FRIEND TO POLLINATORS 43-year-old Rustan Effendi has a small farm in Central Sulawesi where he grows cocoa and durian to support his wife and daughter. Several years ago, Effendi discovered the dangers of paraquat. “The herbicide brought some negative impacts to my health, such as shortness of breath while spraying it.” He also saw that weedkillers were killing off the bees and other important pollinators. This affected cocoa development cycles, leading to longer waits between harvests and unpredictable yield quality. He knew he needed to make a change. Together with the Rainforest Alliance and local government teams, he switched to IWM—targeting noxious weeds and pest habitats while maintaining soft weeds that provide habitats for pollinators. “[We work] to find ways to make the most of our farm,” he said. “We’re thinking of how to preserve the land so our descendants can inherit the fertile soil that brings benefits in the long term.