The discourse around toxicity among farmers is not monolithic . They choose what to believe and when to believe it when it comes to information about the effects of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
This particular family has their tomato greenhouse right next to the house they live in. It’s a family of 5 including a teenager, a preschooler and a 6 months old baby. I asked the farmer to show me what chemicals he uses on his crops and he told me he only uses “green label products”. During the interview his little preschooler daughter was playing around and she climbed up the back of his truck. Right away the farmer scolded the girl saying “you know you shouldn’t touch this” pointing to the blue barrel in which he mixes the chemicals.
Another of the contradictions came up when I asked the farmer’s wife if she was concerned about the effects on their health by the use of pesticides. She said she wasn’t worried because her husband’s been working with those chemicals for over 10 years and he’s a healthy man, but she then told me that when he sprays the pesticides they seal up the greenhouse and the rest of the family goes inside the house to avoid contact, she finished by saying, “we don’t like the kids out there when he’s spraying”.
“Everyone around here knows someone who has cancer” said another farmer (it’s a small community). When I have asked if they think cancer is related to the use of pesticides they have answers like: “they (people with cancer) used red label substances”, “they sprayed without protection”, “they had cancer history in their family”. It seems like it’s hard to relate to the harmful health effects that pesticides can cause unless they experience it in their own bodies. Other people’s stories are not enough.
The discourse around toxicity among farmers is not monolithic . They choose what to believe and when to believe it when it comes to information about the effects of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
This particular family has their tomato greenhouse right next to the house they live in. It’s a family of 5 including a teenager, a preschooler and a 6 months old baby. I asked the farmer to show me what chemicals he uses on his crops and he told me he only uses “green label products”. During the interview his little preschooler daughter was playing around and she climbed up the back of his truck. Right away the farmer scolded the girl saying “you know you shouldn’t touch this” pointing to the blue barrel in which he mixes the chemicals.
Another of the contradictions came up when I asked the farmer’s wife if she was concerned about the effects on their health by the use of pesticides. She said she wasn’t worried because her husband’s been working with those chemicals for over 10 years and he’s a healthy man, but she then told me that when he sprays the pesticides they seal up the greenhouse and the rest of the family goes inside the house to avoid contact, she finished by saying, “we don’t like the kids out there when he’s spraying”.
“Everyone around here knows someone who has cancer” said another farmer (it’s a small community). When I have asked if they think cancer is related to the use of pesticides they have answers like: “they (people with cancer) used red label substances”, “they sprayed without protection”, “they had cancer history in their family”. It seems like it’s hard to relate to the harmful health effects that pesticides can cause unless they experience it in their own bodies. Other people’s stories are not enough.