People, Pesticides, and the Environment: Who Bears the Brunt of Backward Policy in South Africa?

Whereas international trends show that many developed countries are adopting policies that promote pesticide reduction, use of pesticides in South Africa continues to expand. In particular, macroeconomic policies encourage pesticides use among emergent small-scale black farmers, while potential exposures of workers on commercial farms remain high. Despite having legal controls that seem to conform to international standards, the present health and environmental impacts of pesticide use in South Africa are substantial and generally underestimated. The reasons lie in the fragmentation of regulatory mechanisms as well as the absence of public awareness and participation in policy-making related to pesticides. Failure to enforce existing legislation, an ambivalent relationship between government and industry, and the existence of a “pesticide culture” will continue to prevent implementation of meaningful control measures. As a result, it is marginalized groups, such as small-scale farmers and farm workers, who bear the brunt of policies that have not kept pace with a growing international awareness of the hazards of widespread pesticide use for human health and for the environment. Opportunities for fundamental transformation of the legal and policy framework relating to pesticides in order to promote environmental justice are explored.