Natural Insecticide and the Third World

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Natural Insecticide and the Third World

9:11 am by webmann in backyard gardening, garden pests

People in the US have been using natural insecticide for years. Some are becoming more concerned about the environment and the safety of the food supply. Many of these have switched back to natural insecticide. So, how much is natural insecticide being used around the world?

Growers in the Philippines have been troubled by the health hazards caused by using synthetic chemical insecticides. Their producers are becoming ill with chronic health problems. Their consumers end up with produce that contains chemical residues. They are interested in natural insecticide. Thailand is another country whose government and citizens are concerned with the chemical residues on agricultural produce. Many in Asian countries feel the same way. Their middle-class is growing. This gives them more options, one of which is choosing natural insecticide.

In many African and other economically disadvantaged regions, this is not the story. Natural insecticide is not an option. Chemical insecticides that have been banned, such as methyl bromide, have shown up in ports of these countries.

Methyl bromide was banned because it was harmful to the people eating the produce. It was also bad for the ozone layer. This chemical is just bad news all around. Now it is being dumped into developing countries because it can’t be sold elsewhere. The people in these countries will take these chemical insecticides because they can’t afford natural insecticide. For that matter, they can’t afford any other insecticides.

DDT is another chemical insecticide that has been banned for years in the more developed countries of the world. It is used abundantly in Third World countries in South America and Africa. These countries might be more apt to use natural insecticide if it was as cheap and plentiful as the more hazardous chemical varieties. Unfortunately, it is not.

Many countries are producers of natural insecticide; yet do not use them in their own countries. India, for example is one of the chief growers of the neem tree. Products from the neem tree have long been used as natural insecticide. However, India has fallen prey to the cheap and easy availability of chemical insecticides. Its natural insecticide is saved for countries who can afford it. It may help their financial bottom line, but it is doing damage to their citizens’ health in the meantime.

Many countries around the world are suppliers of natural insecticides. Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide that can be used on fruits and vegetables. It is made from a specific species of chrysanthemum. These are imported mainly from Kenya and Ecuador. Rotenone is another botanical natural insecticide. It can be used for aphids, beetles and caterpillars on plants. It is made from derris plant roots which originate in Asia. It can also be extracted from cube plants which are indigenous to South America.

It seems that the nations in the Third World give more than they take when it comes to natural insecticide. It may be financially advantageous for them to use chemical insecticides in the short run. However, in terms of the cost of ill health among their people, they will be paying much more.