Abstract
Understanding the problem of pesticide misuse in the Third World requires analysis of both political- economic forces and local- level variations in peasant behavior and attitudes. This study, based on 12 months of fieldwork during 1988–1989, examines growing agrochemical dependence and misuse in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the East Caribbean. Consistent with findings from other political-economic studies, this research documents the influence of the state, export agriculture, consumer pressure, and foreign aid in leading to increased chemical use in agriculture. This study also considers the extent to which farmer behavior and attitudes limit or exacerbate the problems that can accompany increased pesticide use. Some researchers emphasize that farmers are careless and indiscriminate when using pesticides, thereby contributing to pesticide-related problems. In contrast, data from the village level reveal that although some farmers are careless, others are cautious in their use of pesticides, a pattern reflective of variability among farmers in pesticide- use practices and attitudes in general. By exploring the issue of variability in patterns of pesticide use among villagers, this paper emphasizes the utility of the concepts of individuality and experimentation in agriculture in examining problems of pesticide misuse.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black, R., Jonglaekha, N., and Thanormthin, V. (1987). Problems concerning pesticide use in highland agriculture, Northern Thailand. In Tait, J., and Napompeth, B. (eds.),Management of Pests and Pesticides. Westview, Boulder, pp. 28–37.
Bottrell, D. G. (1984). Government influence on pesticide use in developing countries.Insect Science Applications 5: 151–155.
Bull, D. (1982).A Growing Problem: Pesticides and the Third World Poor. Oxfam, Oxford.
Collymore, J. (1984). Agricultural Decisions of Small Farmers in St. Vincent. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Department of Geography, University of West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Fagoonee, I. (1984). Pertinent Aspects of Pesticide Usage in Mauritius.Insect Science Applications 5: 203–212.
Fagoonee, I. (1987). Pesticide Practice among Vegetable Growers in Mauritius. In Tait, J., and Napompeth, B. (eds.),Management of Pests and Pesticides. Westview, Boulder, pp. 175–181.
Goldberg, K. (1985). Efforts to prevent misuse of pesticides exported to developing countries.Ecology Law Quarterly 12: 1025–1051.
Goldman, A. (1986). Pest Hazards and Pest Management by Small Scale Farmers in Kenya. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Department of Geography, Clark University.
Grossman, L. (in press, a). Political ecology, banana exports, and local food production in St. Vincent, Eastern Caribbean.Annals of the Association of American Geographers.
Grossman, L. (1992). Pesticides, people, and the environment in St. Vincent.Caribbean Geography 3: 175–186.
Guan-Soon, L., and O. Seng-Hock (1987). Environmental problems of pesticide usage in Malaysian rice field-serceptions and future considerations. In Tait, J., and Napompeth, B. (eds.),Management of Pests and Pesticides. Westview, Boulder, pp. 10–21.
Heong, K. L. (1984). Pest control practices of rice farmers in Tanjong Karang, Malaysia.Insect Science Applications 5: 221–226.
Johnson, A. (1972). Individuality and experimentation in traditional agriculture.Human Ecology 1: 149–159.
Medina, C. (1987). Pest control practices and pesticide perceptions of vegetable farmers in Loo Valley, Benguet, Philippines. In Tait, T., and Napompeth, B. (eds.),Management of Pests and Pesticides. Westview, Boulder, pp. 150–157.
Mohan, V. C. (1987). The pesticide dilemma in Malaysia. In Tait, J., and Napompeth, B. (eds.),Management of Pests and Pesticides. Westview, Boulder, pp. 71–78.
Perritt, R. (1988). Small Farmer Resource Management: A Case of Pesticide Use in Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Department of Geography, Clark University.
Pollard, H. J. (1981). Food crop production for Trinidad's home market: An unfulfilled potential.Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 2: 91–100.
Rainey, W. E. (1985). Dominica Banana Rehabilitation Project Pesticide Assessment. Unpublished report, Island Resources Foundation, Washington, D. C.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (1956).St. Vincent Annual Trade Report for the Year 1955. Kingstown.
St. Vincent Banana Growers' Association (1990).Annual Report for the Year Ended 31st December 1989. Kingstown.
Tait, J., and Napompeth, B. (eds.) (1987).Management of Pests and Pesticides. Westview, Boulder.
Thaman, R. (1985). The poisoning of paradise: Pesticides, people, environmental pollution, and increasing dependency in the Pacific Islands.South Pacific Forum 1: 165–200.
Thrupp, L. A. (1988). Pesticides and policies: Approaches to pest-control dilemmas in Nicaragua and Costa Rica.Latin American Perspectives 15: 37–70.
Thrupp, L. A. (1990a). Inappropriate incentives for pesticide use: Agricultural credit requirements in developing countries.Agriculture and Human Values 7: 62–69.
Thrupp, L. A. (1990b). Entrapment and escape from fruitless insecticide use: Lessons from the banana sector of Costa Rica.International Journal of Environmental Studies 36: 173–189.
Waibel, H. (1987). Farmers' practices and recommended economic threshold levels in irrigated rice in the Philippines. In Tait, J., and Napompeth, B. (eds.),Management of Pests and Pesticides. Westview, Boulder, pp. 191–197.
Weir, D., and M. Schapiro (1981).Circle of Poison: Pesticides and People in a Hungry World. Institute for Food and Development Policy, San Francisco.
Wright, A. (1986). Rethinking the Circle of Poison: the Politics of Pesticide Poisoning among Mexican Farm Workers.Latin American Perspectives 13: 26–59.
Wright, A. (1990).The Death of Ramon Gonzalez: The Modern Agricultural Dilemma. University of Texas Press, Austin.
Zaidi, I. (1984). Farmers' perception and management of pest hazard.Insect Science Applications 5:187–201.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grossman, L.S. Pesticides, caution, and experimentation in st. Vincent, Eastern Caribbean. Hum Ecol 20, 315–336 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00889900
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00889900