• "Food Matters Newsletter, June 2013....."
  • "Details of some resource persons on organic farming, state-wise".
  • Pesticides like Mancozeb and Captan, classified as Probable Human Carcinogen (US EPA) continue in India.
  • India has 67 pesticides that have been banned or restricted in other countries.
  • Nearly 40% of pesticides registered in India belong to Class I and Class II WHO categories of acute toxicity.
  • Studies show that less than 0.1% of pesticides for pest control fall on target insects. Rest dissipates into the atmosphere, contaminating our resources.
  • Farming can indeed be done profitably without synthetic pesticides – research proves this; experience on millions of acres shows this.
  • In Andhra Pradesh, 1000s of farmers have adopted Non Pesticidal Management of crops through a government programme called Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture.

India For Safe Food...

...is a movement for change amongst Indian farmers, consumers and the government to ensure that all Indians have access to safe food, devoid of toxic substances. This movement is being spearheaded by ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture), an informal network of hundreds of organizations and individuals across twenty states of India and we consider you to be part of this movement!

The Latest Updates

பருத்தி விவசாயிகளைக் காவுவாங்கும் பூச்சிக்கொல்லி மருந்து! தமிழக விதர்பாவாக மாறும் பெரம்பலூர்

December 09, 2017 12:01 PM

 

பெரம்பலூர் மாவட்டத்தில் பருத்தி வயலுக்குப் பூச்சிக்கொல்லி மருந்து அடித்த மூன்று விவசாயிகள் இறந்திருக்கிறார்கள் இருபதுக்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதித்திருக்கும் சம்பவம் தமிழகத்தையே உலுக்கியிருக்கிறது.

 

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பூச்சிக்கொல்லி மருந்தால் ஆண்டுக்கு 10 ஆயிரம் பேர் இறக்கின்றனர்! - உண்மை கண்டறியும் குழு அதிர்ச்சித் தகவல்

December 09, 2017 11:55 AM

 

Ariyalur: இந்தியாவில் பூச்சிக்கொல்லி மருந்துகளால் வருடத்துக்கு 10 ஆயிரம் பேர் இறப்பதாக அதிர்ச்சியூட்டும் தகவலை அளித்திருக்கிறது உண்மை கண்டறியும் குழு

 

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Government answerable for pesticide deaths

December 09, 2017 11:53 AM

 

Chennai: Acording to the members, around 200-300 persons have been hospitalised in the past two months after exposure to deadly pesticides. Six deaths have occurred in three districts of Tamil Nadu. “After instances of deaths and large scale hospitalisations due to pesticide exposure in Vidarbha and later in Telangana, the menace is now surfacing in TN,” points K Balakrishnan of Swaraj Abhiyan.

 

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TN govt accused of inaction in preventing deaths

December 09, 2017 11:49 AM

 

New Delhi: An independent fact-finding team, which probed the recent pesticide poisoning in Tamil Nadu's Perambalur and Ariyalur districts, today accused the state of inaction in preventing deaths and sufferings of farmers and farm workers.

 

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5 farm workers in TN have died due to toxic pesticides

December 09, 2017 11:45 AM

 

Chennai: At least five farm workers have died in two months because of exposure to pesticides in the cotton fields of Perambalur and Ariyalur, investigations by advocacy groups have revealed. Following reports of farm workers dying or being hospitalised due to pesticide exposure and poisoning, an eight-member team from various organisations that work with farmers visited five villages in both districts and met bereaved families, officials and doctors.

 

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ACTIVISTS SLAM TAMIL NADU GOVT’S LACK OF ACTION ON PESTICIDE POISONINGS: “CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO LIFE BEING VIOLATED BY WILFUL CONTINUATION OF DEADLY PESTICIDES”

December 07, 2017 11:38 AM

 

Chennai, December 7th 2017: A fact finding team that investigated the recent spate of pesticide poisonings in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts of Tamil Nadu slammed the state government for its inaction so far despite hundreds of farmers and farm workers being affected. It is estimated that at least 200 to 300 persons have been hospitalised in the past two months after exposure to deadly pesticides, and at least six deaths have occurred, in 3 districts of Tamil Nadu. Reports from other districts are emerging now. However, no ex-gratia relief to the affected, nor concrete preventive measures have been put in place by the government. “This situation is highly preventable and no pesticide poisonings should have occurred at all, if the government had ensured that bannable pesticides were stopped from being sold and used, and if ecological alternatives were taught to farmers for crop protection”, said the team members who presented their findings to the media today.

 

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Effectiveness of household lockable pesticide storage to reduce pesticide self-poisoning in rural Asia: a community-based, cluster-randomised controlled trial.

October 22, 2017 06:39 PM

 

Lancet. 2017 Oct 21

We found no evidence that means reduction through improved household pesticide storage reduces pesticide self-poisoning. Other approaches, particularly removal of highly hazardous pesticides from agricultural practice, are likely to be more effective for suicide prevention in rural Asia.

 

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Maharashtra farmer deaths highlights gross negligence in pesticide management in India

October 20, 2017 07:42 AM

 

Fatally toxic class I pesticides must be banned at the earliest, says CSE  

  • Death of farmers due to pesticide poisoning in Maharashtra is unfortunate and could have been avoided; points towards complete failure of agriculture departments in managing pesticides 
  • Pesticide poisoning and deaths due to accidental intake of pesticides is a long festering problem in India  
  • The incident highlights the urgent need to fix several long-standing gaps in pesticide management in the country
  • Most urgently, India needs to ban use of class I pesticides which are very toxic; many of these are banned in other countries
  • India needs a new Pesticide Management Bill to stop the unsafe use of toxic pesticides and improve enforcements

 

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Illegal HT cotton, a 472 crore market, grown in 8.5L hectares

October 20, 2017 07:39 AM

 

Even as the Maharashtra agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar has called for a ban on the herbicide tolerant (HT) genetically modified cotton, the Delhi-based South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC) has claimed that the illegal market is worth about Rs472 crore. About 35 lakh packets of illegal HT cotton hybrids were sold this kharif season across Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The SABC also claimed that 8.5 lakhs hectares, or 7% of the total cotton growing area in the country, is under the illegal HT cultivation.

 

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India must detoxify its poisoned farmlands

October 20, 2017 07:37 AM

 

Many of these chemicals have become extremely pervasive in our environment as a result of their widespread repeated use and, in some cases, their environmental persistence

 

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