The use of pesticides in agriculture is a hotly debated topic. Even though more than a billion pounds of pesticides are applied annually, they do not come without risk. Pesticides can be dangerous to people and animals when misused, leading to increased regulation by governmental agencies. While many countries have strict regulations regarding this matter, there are still many countries that do not follow suit. India is one of them.
Despite the strict warning, our country and leaders aren’t taking enough measures to make it right. The overuse of chemicals in food and agriculture is destroying our health, and we aren’t doing a thing about it. We have silently accepted the toxic food without trying to know how it will damage our health.
To know more about it, we got connected to Prithvi Ram Bommaraboyina. He is an Agriculture researcher and scientist. He is working to spread awareness regarding the use of pesticides in agriculture. Let us speak to him to know the ground reality.
Prithvi, tell us something about yourself.
I was born in Telangana, but I have traveled a lot throughout my life. As a child, plants, animals, and nature fascinated me. My family has a background in engineering. Maybe that’s why I resented it from the start, and I knew it was not something that would keep me happy.
So, when the time came to choose a graduation course, I selected Agriculture. I knew it would be different and challenging, but that didn’t deteriorate its importance, in my opinion. India is a leading importer in agriculture, but it needs more students studying and researching it. Once you get into agriculture, you realize that it has immense potential, and I could prove myself in it.
Why did you specifically choose Agriculture, and what are your educational qualifications?
I was just an average student. I struggled with getting grades. I lacked theory knowledge, but I was decent with practicals. So my mentors and teachers motivated me after they noticed it. But I was genuinely interested in Agriculture. Thus, I opted for it.
I finished my graduation from LPU. During graduation, I worked on a project on a wetland in the Kapurthala district of Jalandhar. It was 40 km away from the college. I presented the project at an Inter-University competition in Delhi, for which I secured the second prize. They offered me a free Master’s Degree scholarship. My journey started from there only.
Can you brief us on your experience?
During my Master’s degree in Water Science and governance, I traveled for my first project to the Muraidih district of Jharkhand with Coal India. The project was on the rejuvenation of open coal mines. In the fourth semester, I worked at ICRISAT as a trainee. I completed my Master’s thesis at ICRISAT.
My Master’s thesis was on heavy metals and how it affects humans. After that, I worked with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research as a Young Professional. Then, I came back to ICRISAT. I was there for two years working on reputed government projects.
I worked with an organization based in Telangana that works on water research and implementation. It was the first time I had moved from research to implementation. Till September, I worked there on heavy metals in regions of Assam and Bihar.
Recently, I have started working on a Covid Sensitive Sanitation and Hygiene program by creating awareness through volunteers across the state. I am working with the Youngistaan Foundation in Collaboration with UNICEF and the Govt. of Telangana. So, all my career, I have been in non-profit organizations. While getting into the social sector, I knew what I was getting into, and it was my choice to stick to non-profit organizations rather than the corporate world. I wanted to create an impact and bring social reforms to society and the environment. Monetary benefits were never my motive. My niche is both science and society. So, I juggle between them.
Families in India have a conservative approach to education and career. They don’t let their kids explore fields that don’t pay well, and Agriculture is also a particular field. So how did you convince your family to do it?
Initially, making my parents agree to what I wanted to do seemed difficult.
But it wasn’t as hard as I had expected it to be. I come from a middle-class family with out-of-box thinking. THEY WERE SLIGHTLY TENSE when I told them about choosing non-profit organizations over the corporate world in the agriculture field. But who won’t be? Everyone desires the best for their child.
Then, I sat with them and made them understand. I told my parents that I wanted to work for people as there’s only one life. During this time, I wish to serve people. I am not privileged to choose social service after retirement when they hear my intention behind the motive. My parents, since then, have always stood by me.
How has your experience been? How do agricultural scientists work?
Working on these projects has been great. However, my research topic is a little different from conventional research. I have worked on a few projects, so I know the problems in the research methods. Agriculture researchers mostly take out the experimentation in laboratories or isolated plots. Then it goes through paperwork, and by the time it comes to farmers, 5-6 years have already passed.
So, I conducted my research in the farmer’s field as cost-effective, participatory research. They were interested in my research, and they learned the essential tricks that they will practice in the future. Working on-site has also helped me get feedback and suggestions on the research from the farmers.
Even besides my work, I keep in touch with the farmers. More than half of my month is spent traveling. So, wherever I travel, farmers take my contacts. They keep contacting me for suggestions.
What is the government doing to help the farmers?
The government is working to help the farmers with their income and farming problems. But still, there’s so much more to do. We have to concentrate on water management which is the need of the hour. We also need to take climate change seriously.
Government should promote gender equality. The inequitable distribution of resources causes problems for farmers. Government should encourage students and researchers to take an interest in water management, agriculture, etc. These researchers can find a better solution to these problems.
But only researchers, scientists, and the government working on these problems are not enough. Once we as citizens and human beings start to take things seriously, the world will turn into a much better place. We need to understand the seriousness of the situation and act responsibly. Otherwise, things may go out of our hands soon.
What do you think are the burning issues of the agriculture sector that can be the reason for its destruction?
I believe that climate change, pollution, water scarcity, and overuse of pesticides are the burning issues. They may end us in the future if we don’t work on them. For example, pesticides in agriculture are so harmful that they can cause severe diseases. Still, the demand is very high, and it is impossible to meet the demand without using pesticides. So we need to invest more in organic farming and invent gut-friendly pesticides.
Water scarcity and water pollution are two primary reasons our agriculture sector is in many loss-making times. Because it’s a gamble on water, and most of it is present in lakes, water resources are polluted mostly because of plastic dumped. Rest garbage and industrial waste also contribute, but plastic is the main reason. Tomorrow, if farmers decide to switch to organic farming, it will contaminate food because the water used to grow the crop is polluted and has harmful chemicals.
Government should implement strict rules against garbage and industrial waste dumped in the water bodies. People need to look after their actions and stop treating our water resources as dustbins. It impacts everything from our drinking needs to grow crops.
Besides these two, climate change is the most negligible topic ever discussed in India. Farmers need to have proper weather conditions to grow healthy food, but it has become challenging to have them due to climate change. In the rainy season, it either rains too much or doesn’t rain at all. Sometimes winters are freezing, or summers are scorching. These weather conditions directly impact our crops, and climate change is the change. Together, we need to work on these issues and look after our mother nature.
Why can our farmers not switch to organic farming? What is stopping them from not using pesticides?
Market demand is stopping them from switching to organic farming. This type of farming is costly and doesn’t offer much production. The overall turnover of agriculture products will drop if they do it at this point. They don’t have enough money to gamble on. Moreover, organic produce will be expensive to purchase. The government needs to step in and support organic farming. Then, we might see some positive changes. Without having enough money in hand, farmers cannot do it alone. They will grow what sells, and Indian consumers prefer cheap food over healthy one. Apart from that, if the demand for organic food is high in the market, it can be a game-changing situation for farmers.
What is the message to our readers?
To conclude the interview, I would like to say please stop destroying what you eat. Your actions are demolishing our nature, and it will take revenge if exploited beyond measurement. Please be a good citizen and do the needful. Let us fight for our mother nature, our farmers, and human life.
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