JEDDAH — Fahd Balghunaim, Minister of Agriculture, has said the ministry recently banned 30 different agricultural pesticides after research has pointed to the dangers that these harmful chemicals pose to public health. Despite intense objections and pressure from the manufacturers and importers of these toxic compounds, the ministry remained steadfast in its decision to ban their use as pesticides on crops intended for human consumption. The Ministry of Agriculture has established a center with a total expenditure of SR70 million to promote organic agricultural methods throughout the Kingdom. Alternative organic farming methods will replace the conventional farming methods that rely heavily on chemical fertilizers and artificial pesticides, which have been linked to many types of cancers, neurological disorders, and hormone disruptions. Funds will be directed toward breeding beneficial and farmer friendly insects and using them on crops to combat and kill pests that destroy crops, but in a natural, safe and non-toxic way. Natural methods of pest control are actually less expensive than buying potent pesticides, and it is safer for the crops, human health, wildlife and the environment. Organic farming strictly limits the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, plant growth regulators such as hormones, antibiotics in livestock feed, food additives, and genetically modified organisms. Balghunaim stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture is working diligently to stop the spraying of crops and fresh produce with toxic chemical pesticides. He said that each farmer must understand the grave responsibility of providing society with a safe source of nutrition and that the farmer will be held accountable by Allah if he applies dangerous chemicals on crops. Organic farmers promote biodiversity by growing a variety of crops, rather than one single crop. Through several methods, organic farmers prevent soil erosion, improve soil fertility, conserve energy and help protect local wildlife and runoff water. Organic farming can greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, that contribute to global warming. Organic farming may be slower, harder, more complex and more labor-intensive but for the sake of the community's health and the global environment, it is worth the extra effort.
