Indian Agricultural: Growth, Generation, Policy & Problem Indian Agricultural | Page 35

Pg.no. 34
Most high intensity agricultural production is highly reliant on non-renewable resources. Agricultural
machinery and transport, as well as the production of pesticides and nitrates all depend on fossil
fuels. Moreover, the essential mineral nutrient phosphorus is often a limiting factor in crop cultivation,
while phosphorus mines are rapidly being depleted worldwide. The failure to depart from these non-
sustainable agricultural production methods could potentially lead to a large scale collapse of the
current system of intensive food production within this century.
Health impact
The consumption of the pesticides used to kill pests by humans in some cases may be increasing the
likelihood of cancer in some of the rural villages using them. Poor farming practices including non-
compliance to usage of masks and over-usage of the chemicals compound this situation.[73] In 1989,
WHO and UNEP estimated that there were around 1 million human pesticide poisonings annually.
Some 20,000 (mostly in developing countries) ended in death, as a result of poor labelling, loose
safety standards etc.
Pesticides and cancer
Contradictory epidemiologic studies in humans have linked phenoxy acid herbicides or contaminants
in them with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and malignant lymphoma, organochlorine insecticides with
STS, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), leukaemia, and, less consistently, with cancers of the lung and
breast, organophosphorus compounds with NHL and leukaemia, and triazine herbicides with ovarian
cancer.
Ramesh Kumar P