USA Based “Nutrient Ag Solutions” Fined $668000 for Illegal Pesticides; Can Similar Thing Happen in India?

The Environmental Protection Agency recently penalised Nutrient Ag Solutions Inc. for allegedly using pesticides that have been revoked by the federal government in Kansas. The Colorado-based firm, which sells, distributes, and uses pesticides mostly for agricultural purposes, will pay $668,000 (RS 4 crores in indian currency).

In response to a Ninth Circuit Court judgement revoking the registration of certain pesticides, the EPA stopped the use of some herbicides containing the active ingredient dicamba in 2020. The Court highlighted evidence that dicamba might drift into adjoining crops and injure them during high winds, among other things. According to the EPA, Nutrien Ag Solutions violated the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act on at least 27 occasions by allegedly using two dicamba products in a way inconsistent with the permitted label.

In India, the handling of pesticides is done by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC). This committee takes care and regulates the use of pesticides and insecticides in India

However, there is a long way to go for our country before we actually reach the level of food safety standards of western countries. This was especially seen when APEDA had to actually ban 5 companies from India for not matching up to the food safety standards of the west.

This will also have a very adverse effect on our imports if we actually do not or are not able to keep up with the standards of the west.

And this is not just about keeping up with the west, it’s also about the quality of the food we eat. Developing nations as a whole actually eat more pesticide rich food compared to their Developed counterparts, this is because most of their high-quality food gets shipped to the west and the remainder that they eat is mostly the food that actually cant pass the test.

So yeah we need to bump up the quality of the food we eat while also increasing the quantity of the food to deal with hunger.

This is the pressing need of the hour and something we as a nation should take steps towards both in research and while farming to feed our nation as a whole.